Sea of Tranquility: Red Earth
by KingofRocks97
Summary: A multiversal threat brings together a depressed child soldier, an immortal automaton, a princess, a dinosaur, and their squabbling companions. With reality itself at stake, can this chaotic band of misfits rise to the challenge?
1. Distant Chaos

Sea of Tranquility Chapter 1: Distant Chaos

"The following is a work of fanfiction. _Neon Genesis Evangelion _is the property of Studio Gainax, Studio Khara, and Hideaki Anno. _Godzilla_ is the property of Toho Company, Ltd. and _Transformers_ is the property of Hasbro and TakaraTomy. Please support the official release(s).

I do not claim any ownership over the characters present in this piece. I am deeply grateful for their work in creating such incredible characters and without their writing, my childhood and adolescence would have been very disappointing."

_The infinite cosmos has no beginnings and endings. There are multiple dimensions where fantasy becomes reality and reality becomes a fantasy. In fantasy, there are heroes and villains. In reality, it is difficult to know who is truly good or truly evil or somewhere in-between, unless you live their lives. But, __as__ I said, the reality is rather fickle in these parts, and our story, like any story, must have a beginning. Our story concerns three different beings from different worlds brought together by circumstances far beyond their control:_

_A boy scarred by misery._

_An __immortal automaton__._

_A monster born of man._

_The story begins outside a rather insignificant rock in the cosmos._

The automaton had many names. Some called him Convoy, others Optimus Prime. He was a virtuous commander of valiant soldiers in a war that lasted for an eternity. Prime had awakened from his stasis a few hours earlier. He had fleeting visions of being gunned down by old nemesis, Megatron.

"Must be a glitch. I'll have Ratchet take care of it later."

The Commander muttered as he moved on to more pressing matters. A shocking image appeared on the Ark's viewscreen. The Earth, which the Autobots remembered as being vibrant blue was now an ominous shade of red. Even more alarming was the fact that the entire bottom of the planet had completely disappeared under an utterly bizarre-looking void.

"It must be a Decepticon plot!" exclaimed Ironhide, too shocked to say anything else.

"They must have attacked while we were in stasis..." muttered Wheeljack despondently.

"Prime, this must be a trick, right? Our friends are fine, right?!" whimpered Bumblebee.

"Sir, Teletraan-1 is working at 100% efficiency. It's no illusion." Ratchet confirmed sadly and sighed. "There's only three billion lifeforms left."

Prime set aside his grief and frustration. He calmly issued orders, as any commander in his place should.

"Scan for any abnormal energy readings. It should point us to whatever caused this. I fear it might be a new Decepticon weapon."

"Understood sir, deploying probes," responds Ratchet.

A fleet of reconnaissance drones launches into the atmosphere. A few seconds later, all of them relay signals but one is abruptly silenced.

"Sir, readings indicate a massive spike in the Japanese Archipelago!"

With their bearings confirmed, the automatons set out to avenge their fallen friends.

"Ratchet, prepare a dropship! Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Wheeljack, with me!"

Autobots, Roll Out!

_On Earth…_

Shinji Ikari should have been attending school, like most boys his age.

Unfortunately, his estranged father summoning him out of the blue and the giant monster currently attacking the city put a stop to that course of action. Despite the chaos and confusion, he took all in stride. Fate had been unkind to him in childhood when it took away his mother and it certainly wasn't going to stop now.

His only consolation was the attractive woman his father had sent to pick him up.

Shinji didn't know what to make of Major Misato Katsuragi. On one hand, she looked and behaved more like an eccentric supermodel than a military officer. On the other, her "expert" driving allowed them to outrun the attacking Angel and dodge any stray debris.

Shinji was still trying to cope with this sudden turn of events when things got weirder.

The car screeched to a halt on the side of the road, shocking the boy out of his stupor.

"Shinji!" Misato hissed in a hushed tone. "Look..."

The duo looked on in disbelief as a mysterious spaceship appeared in the skies over Tokyo-3, like a scene from an old sci-fi movie. It fired a couple of laser beams at the Angel and deployed a team of giant transforming robots who tried to distract it.

Suddenly, a radio crackles.

"Major Katsuragi, is the Child secure?" a familiar voice asks.

"Yes sir, we managed to evade the Angel. But-"

"We know. Return to base immediately. The Vice Commander will debrief you then. In the meantime, make sure to avoid contact with those beings."

Shinji never had the chance to say hello to his father.

"_The Child_." thought Shinji. _"He didn't even bother calling me by my name."_

_Back in Tokyo-3, or the surrounding area…_

After exchanging a few barrages of gunfire, the Autobots realized that despite its organic nature, the Angel was proving to be a stubborn opponent.

"The thing's shielded! It's deflecting everything we throw at it!"

Ironhide said in frustration as salvo after salvo was blocked by an orange force field.

A group of JASDF gunships opened fire on the Angel, narrowly missing the Autobots.

"Hey! Watch your fire, I'm flying here!" yelled Wheeljack.

The Angel turned its head and a flash of light emitted from its eye sockets, vaporizing the unfortunate gunships.

Shocked by the humans' unfriendly fire and the Angel's capabilities, Prime contacted Ratchet.

"Ratchet, contact the humans and tell them to pull back!"

"They already are! The humans just launched a high-explosive missile at the creature! Retreat now!"

Prime, Bumblebee, and Ironhide transformed into vehicle mode and sped into the dropship. Wheeljack fired a few parting shots from the ship's missile launchers and accelerated in the opposite direction.

The Third Angel, Sachiel stared blankly at the retreating enemies, as if surprised by an easy victory. It was then that it noticed a peculiar object falling towards it.

_**SPOOOOOOMMMMMM!**_

A massive Fireball engulfed the Angel, burning the countryside to a crisp. The resulting shockwave was strong enough to knock the dropship out of the sky, despite its distance.

"Everyone, hang on!" yelled Wheeljack over the pandemonium.

The Alpine Renault carrying Misato and Shinji was much lighter and was also knocked a great distance.

"**AAAAAAGH!"**

Due to a stroke of luck, and Misato's improvised shielding of Shinji, the duo survived.

As the boy and his guardian got out of their vehicle to survey the damage, they came face to face with the Autobots, who were in similar straits.

Misato instinctively stood in front of Shinji, unsure of what the alien robots would do.

They both received the shock of their lives when the Autobot commander stood forward and said:

"Major General Katsuragi, Captain Ikari. It is good to see you-"

He paused as if noticing something off.

"What happened to you? You look younger..."

"It's just Major Katsuragi. Shinji's just… What are you? How do you know our names?" asked Misato, concerned about their strange familiarity.

Optimus Prime, proud commander of the Autobots, simply froze and stared at them.

Shinji returned the gaze, surprised that a giant robot could show fear and confusion.

A masked Autobot stepped forward.

"Prime, I'm afraid my hypothesis was right. I think we're in an alternate universe."

For once, both Autobots and humans were equally confused.

_To be continued..._


	2. New Friends & Old Enemies

Sea of Tranquility: New Friends & Old Enemies

**Author's Note: As you're probably aware by now, these first few chapters are a slightly altered remake of the "Transformers X Evangelion" promotional event for the Convoy Mode Eva figure. I feel that the promotion was a pretty decent crossover that could have been expanded past a "30-second Toy Commercial." Well, this is my attempt at doing so, with additional Characters and Franchises to come! Enjoy!**

From the moment the Third Angel, Sachiel, set foot on land, Gendo Ikari remained at Nerv Headquarters with his vice commander Kozo Fuyutsuki and the JSDF General Staff. They closely monitored the peculiar new combatants as they fought Sachiel, only to be repelled by the Angel's Absolute Terror Field, as its energy shield was known.

"I take it the erm… transforming robots weren't part of the Scenario?" quipped Fuyutsuki.

"No, they are not. But, seeing as they're fighting against the Angels, they may prove themselves to be useful tools against the Old Men," whispered Gendo.

While Gendo and Fuyutsuki silently plotted, General Takaki Aso received some distressing orders from the Minister of Defense.

"All units, pull back! Target has been designated for a tactical N2 strike! Clear the area!"

"Won't the mechs get caught in the blast?" asked Lt. Col. Akira Yuki.

"They have a spaceship. They'll be fine!" replied Colonel Goro Gondo, infamous for his snark.

The JSDF officers fell silent when a blinding light enveloped the target and obscured the live camera feed. After a moment of static, the image of a charred, but still standing Angel surrounded by smoking wasteland filled the screen.

"Damn it! All that bloodshed and we barely even scratched it!" exclaimed a now livid Aso, who snapped a pencil in half in frustration. The General sighed and turned to Gendo.

"We'll proceed with your project, Ikari."

"You should've done that from the start."

"You, on the other hand, should watch your tongue. If your toy doesn't kill that thing, the Prime Minister will have your organization's status revoked."

For all his scheming, Gendo Ikari had a habit of not-so-subtly criticizing those he viewed to be of lower intellect, especially his superiors and nominal allies in the Japanese Government and the UN. General Aso signaled his men and turned to leave the headquarters. Likewise, Gendo was about to leave and contact Misato on the status of his son. All of them froze when they heard a strange noise from the main viewscreen.

"Sir, the Angel is regenerating faster than anticipated!"

The humans watched as the Angel changed shape. Wings protruded out of its back, spikes grew on its arm. Finally, its birdlike face slid downwards like a mask, revealing a more humanoid face behind it. Its eyes lit up in crimson.

"_Where am I? Why do I feel so heavy?" _

Starscream wondered, then his memories flooded back into his new body.

"**RRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGH! GALVATROOOOON!"**

"**WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!"**

The assembled humans stood in stupefied horror as the Angel _spoke_ in a language they could understand. Even the usually stoic Gendo stood wide-eyed in silent horror.

In any other circumstance, it would have been hypocritical for Starscream to call anyone else a coward. After killing his superior, Megatron, and usurping his place, Starscream felt his longstanding grudge and ambitions had finally been fulfilled. Then, Galvatron appeared…

"**COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!"**

Then he saw a familiar convoy of vehicles fleeing the vicinity.

"**PRIME! AND YOUR AUTOBOTS! I SHALL KILL YOU FIRST!" **

Starscream initially thought of transforming into an F-15 Eagle as he had done so many times before. Upon realizing he was trapped in a massive organic body, he grunted in frustration and hovered towards his targets instead.

The Autobots had already loaded Misato's totaled Alpine into Prime's trailer when Sachiel started changing. Once Prime realized who had taken over, he immediately ordered a retreat to Nerv HQ. His underlings, who had lost many comrades to Starscream in past encounters, were reliving their worst nightmare.

"How the scrap did Starscream get here? And how did he take over that thing?" Bumblebee wondered.

"I don't know, he must have gotten here the same way as us," explained Wheeljack.

"Prime, he's gaining on us!" warned Ironhide.

To improve their chances of surviving, Prime decided to bring back an old friend.

"Ratchet, we need you to buy us some time! Activate Omega Protocol!"

_A few minutes earlier…_

"Prime, I'm afraid my hypothesis was right. I think we're in an alternate universe."

"What do you mean, 'alternate universe,' like in a comic book?" asked an incredulous Misato.

"Yes, in our universe, the Earth was blue, Antartica was still intact, and I believe the year was 2029 the last time I checked," answered Wheeljack.

"What year is it here?"

"2015."

"Hmm. Time distortion, too. Yui would have a field day with this," noted Wheeljack.

"Wait! You know my mother?!"

Shinji had been keeping silent until now. The mention of Yui Ikari shook away his shyness.

"Yes, we met her at the Odo Island facility. She and Lt. Gen. Gendo needed our help taming some of the local wildlife. Speaking of which, how are your parents?"

"She...died, when I was three. As for my father, I haven't seen him since. I only got a letter from him this morning."

Wheeljack was stunned.

"I… see. I'm very sorry for your loss, Shinji."

Shinji was stunned by the robot's condolences.

"If you need anybody to talk too, we're here," said Bumblebee.

Shinji's new friendship was interrupted by a loud squelch.

Suddenly, a familiar scream was bellowed.

"**RRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGH! GALVATROOOOON!"**

"**WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!"**

"**COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!"**

Shinji could've sworn he saw fear on his new friends' steel faces. Of course, he himself was terribly frightened once he realized that voice could've only come from one thing…

"It's Starscream! He's taken over the Angel!" exclaimed Ironhide.

"Move! Get to Nerv HQ now!" ordered Prime, as his men transformed into vehicle modes.

Prime transformed into a White Freightliner WFT semi-truck.

Bumblebee transformed into a Suzuki Swift.

Ironhide transformed into a red Hummer H2.

Wheeljack transformed into a Lancia Stratos race car.

Prime loaded Misato's wrecked Renault into his trailer.

"Bumblebee, take Katsuragi and Ikari with you. You'll get there faster."

The two barreled towards the Swift.

"**PRIME! AND YOUR AUTOBOTS! I SHALL KILL YOU FIRST!"**

"Go! Now!"

_Tokyo-3, formerly Hakone, Japan. En route to Nerv HQ._

Shinji Ikari was having a splendid day so far.

He was nearly crushed by a giant monster, nauseated by Misato's "emergency" driving, nearly crushed/incinerated by a non-radioactive nuke, and encountered giant transforming alien robots that somehow mistook him for a Captain.

After all that, he was chased again by the same monster, which had developed flight and was now screaming death threats at him.

All because of his pitiful excuse of a father, who finally decided to talk to him after 14 years of absence.

"Ratchet, we need you to buy us some time! Activate Omega Protocol!"

"Roger! You had better get to Nerv HQ quick! Our Energon reserves won't hold for long!" answered Ratchet over the commlink.

"What's Omega Protocol?" asked Shinji.

"An old friend with big guns. You'll see," answered Bumblebee, now in the shape of a holomatter human driver. Specifically, an 18-year-old blond male in a yellow shirt with black stripes.

"Take a right, the shortcut should be here," directed Misato.

Bumblebee turned into a tunnel, which in turn, led to an elevator platform.

"Ironhide, Wheeljack, with me. We've got to distract Starscream and protect the evacuating humans until Ratchet and Omega Supreme arrive."

_In space_…

"Omega, can you hear me?"

Omega Supreme stirred into consciousness.

"Ratchet?"

"Prime and the others need our help! Starscream's grown to immense size and is attacking human cities! We need you to transform!"

"Energon Reserves: Moderate. Chances of success: Low."

"At least buy them some time to evacuate. We'll improvise the rest."

"Understood. I am programmed to protect, and sacrifice if necessary."

"Don't worry, old friend. We'll get through this together."

"Transwarping to set coordinates. 3. 2. 1…"

_To be continued..._


	3. Alpha and Omega

Sea of Tranquility: Alpha and Omega

Starscream had never felt more alive.

After all those years of failed schemes and humiliation, he had finally surpassed all Cybertronians, let alone his hated superior Megatron.

"**AHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! DIE, PUNY FLESHLINGS! YOUR AUTOBOT FRIENDS WILL PERISH BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY STARSCREAM!"**

"**ABANDON ALL HOPE AND DESPAIR!"**

Even as Tokyo-3's buildings transformed into missile platforms and pummeled him mercilessly, nothing pierced Starscream's A.T. Field and he returned the favor with his Angel-enhanced eye beams and arm blades.

Suddenly, an Autobot ship transwarped in above him and transformed!

Starscream smirked.

"**OMEGA SUPREME. FINALLY, A WORTHY CHALLENGE."**

"**TARGET IDENTIFIED: DECEPTICON AIR COMMANDER STARSCREAM." **

"**PROCEED ON YOUR WAY TO OBLIVION, RUST BUCKET."**

"**ENGAGING TARGET."**

Omega hurled towards Starscream, firing barrage after barrage of missiles. As Starscream tried to pull the same trick, he was countered by a blast from Omega's oversized plasma cannon hand. Omega tried to use his tractor beam and pull Starscream in closer. Itching for hand-to-hand combat, Starscream lunged at him and protracted his arm blades, only to be parried by a swipe of his massive claw of a right hand. Below, the denizens of Tokyo-3 watched in awe as the titans grappled.

"Ratchet, I will eliminate Starscream. You must rendezvous with Prime and help him evacuate the city."

"Omega, with Starscream's new abilities and your current Energon levels, you won't stand a chance!"

"One Autobot death: Preferable. Five Autobot and a million human deaths: inexcusable."

"Omega…"

"Go, Ratchet."

Ratchet barely had time to internalize his sadness before Omega forcibly ejected him out his back. The doctor managed to land safely despite making a rather large crater in the pavement. As he stood back up, his sensors detected two humans trapped in a nearby collapsed building.

"Help! Help us! Anyone!"

Ratchet jumped out of the impact crater he made and used his arm magnets to lift the debris, revealing a teenage boy and his younger sister.

"A... giant robot?" wondered the girl.

"I assure you, I mean no harm. Do any of you need medical attention?"

"I'm fine, but my sister injured her leg," answered the boy.

Thinking quickly, Ratchet transformed into an ambulance and opened his rear doors.

"Get in. There's a first aid kit in the back."

Seeing as they didn't have a choice, the boy carried his sister into the back of the ambulance and closed the doors. He looked over to the driver's seat and saw an old doctor wearing a suit.

"_This old geezer's a mecha pilot? I hope he's one of those grizzled veteran types otherwise we're doomed."_ The boy thought to himself.

"Alright Toji, I need you to do exactly what I say."

The boy stared at him in awe.

Somehow, the old man already knew his name.

"Disinfect the wound with some alcohol and wrap it tightly with gauze. Tell Sakura it might hurt a bit."

The boy did as told. His sister winced a little but was stable.

"How do you know our names?" asked Sakura, recovering from the pain.

"Let's just say I knew you from a past life." Ratchet answered as he hit the accelerator.

The ambulance sped through the streets, shaking intermittently from the blows the dueling giants inflicted on each other.

The silence was broken by an urgent message over the commlink.

"Ratchet, this is Prime! Status report!"

"Prime! Omega doesn't have enough energy to successfully defeat Starscream! He ejected me and told me to save myself."

"I see…"

"I'm en route to your location with the Suzuhara siblings. What's the status on Bumblebee and Ikari?"

"Drop off the Second Lieutenant and Corporal at the nearest shelter first. As for Bumblebee, he said Nerv was deploying some kind of anti-Angel weapon."

"At this point, I'm praying to Primus for a miracle."

Prime sighed.

"Remember the days when you were more skeptical of things? Even Primus himself?"

"Always. Ratchet out."

"Prime out."

After the conversation, Toji turned to Ratchet.

"Corporal?"

"Fourteen more years, kid."

"So, who's Second Lieutenant?"

"Your sister."

"WHAT?!"

"Yes!" exclaimed Sakura from the back, momentarily forgetting her pain.

"This is gonna be a long medevac." sighed Ratchet.


	4. Not Alone

Sea of Tranquility: Not Alone

_Nerv HQ Geofront, the C-22 Special Express…_

When Bumblebee saw the massive size of the Geofront under Tokyo-3, he was as awestruck as the youth in the passenger seat.

"An entire city underneath another city. Never thought I'd see one on Earth."

Suddenly, their sight-seeing tour was cut short by debris falling from the city above.

"The track's collapsing!" yelled Misato as sizable chunks of Tokyo-3 street took out portions of the car-train track.

"Yeah, that happened on Cybertron too. Hang on!"

In a flash, Bumblebee transformed and held the two humans tightly as he jumped from platform to plummeting platform.

The two humans were understandably terrified, screaming all the while.

"MakeitstopMakeitstopMakeitstop!" rattled Misato.

"**WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!**" cried Shinji.

Miraculously, they managed to land safely at ground level. After a short vomit break for the humans, Bumblebee continued towards the shiny pyramid that was the main HQ.

_Sometime Later…_

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi had been performing maintenance on the Evangelion Units when Sachiel made landfall.

When she heard that robotic extraterrestrials had engaged the Angel, she quickly changed out of her diving suit and put her lab coat over her one-piece swimsuit.

She arrived at the elevators just as warning sirens blared that the Angel had regenerated and entered Tokyo-3.

When Ritsuko stepped in, however, she was surprised by the relatively quick arrival of Misato, Shinji, and a mysterious young man.

"I'm surprised you got past that maze of escalators. Is the Third Child safe?"

"Yes. He's a little shaken, but we managed to get here thanks to Bumblebee and his friends," explained Misato.

"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Akagi." chimed Bumblebee.

"How do you know my name? More importantly, do you have clearance?"

"My true body is currently in the parking garage, Doctor. My robot form, as you humans call it, wouldn't be able to fit in this elevator."

"He can't be-"

"Yes, he's one of the transforming robots fighting the Angel. He seems to recognize us from a parallel universe. I know it sounds like the plot of a bad manga, Rits, but after the Angel starting yelling death threats at us like a crazed drug addict, nothing surprises me anymore."

"Hmph. I'll clear him with Section Two. Bring both of them to the Eva Cages. Commander Ikari will brief you there."

"_Father, what have you been doing all these years?"_ Shinji wondered as he followed Ritsuko's lead.

_At the Cage..._

Gendo Ikari was unhappy.

Granted, he usually was, but today especially. The grand debut of his organization and their pet project had been derailed by transforming alien robots who seemed to appear from a weekend morning kids' show.

All of a sudden, he received a call that Major Katsuragi had arrived with his son.

He didn't expect one of the said alien robots to accompany them.

"I thought I ordered you to avoid contact, Major."

"I apologize, Commander, the N2 bomb knocked up our vehicle, and the Angel recovered faster than expected."

"I still don't recall allowing you to pick up stragglers," Gendo said sternly, gesturing towards the not-quite-human blond teen accompanying the duo.

"I, too, apologize for any offense, Lt. Gen. Ikari," replied Bumblebee, who also saluted.

Gendo shifted an eyebrow at the rank Bumblebee addressed him with.

"Lieutenant General?"

"In my universe, yes. Here, I'll make it quick."

Bumblebee pulled out a holographic pad with an Autobot symbol on it. Upon pressing the symbol, a hologram of the late Yui Ikari appeared.

"Yui…" mouthed a speechless Gendo.

"Mother.." For once, Shinji sympathized with his father.

"June 14th, 2029." started the holographic Yui.

"Optimus Prime and his Autobots have agreed to escort us on our observation mission to Odo Island. Ever since we lost the facility on Birth Island to a Decepticon attack, the Titans at the facility have relocated to the surrounding islands. Lt. Gen. Gendo assures me that the mobile suits will be enough. But after that so-called Justice Division appeared, Prime isn't taking any chances. Luckily, Misato and the kids are standing by in the _Wunder_ if anything happens. I know Shinji and his friends are seasoned officers now, but they're still my children, and I always worry.

'Yui, we're approaching the Island!'

Yes, dear. Ikari out."

The transmission ended.

"My friends and I protected your family in another world. We'll do the same all over again in this world too," explained Bumblebee.

"I'll consider it," Gendo turned to his distant son.

"Shinji, I need you to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 and engage the Angel."

"After all these years, you only called me so you could _draft me into a war?!_" yelled Shinji.

"Not an '_I'm sorry, Son,'_ or an '_I'll keep in touch_," but a '_Pilot this war machine I've been building for fourteen goddamn years instead of taking care of you_?!'"

"Yes, because I finally have a use for you."

"You're insane!"

"_I have no time for these childish tantrums_," Gendo muttered to himself.

"Fuyutsuki. Get Rei ready."

"She's still recovering, Ikari."

"She isn't dead yet."

Soon, a gravely injured and bandaged blue-haired girl was wheeled out on a gurney in front of Shinji.

"This is Rei Ayanami, the First Child. She will pilot the Eva if you won't," Gendo said sternly.

Before Shinji could reply, Bumblebee fumed.

"Up until now, I thought you were like the Gendo Ikari I knew. But it looks like I was wrong. The Gendo Ikari I knew was a caring father and a brave frontline leader. You, on the other hand, are a callous, cruel coward who sends his son and daughter out to die on the battlefield like cheap cannon fodder!"

Gendo visibly gasped. As did Misato, Ritsuko, and Shinji.

"Daughter?" inquired Shinji.

"Yes, Shinji. Rei's your sister. You didn't know?"

Bumblebee was about to explain further when the Geofront shook violently.

In the city above, Omega Supreme crashed onto the streets of Tokyo-3, outmatched by Starscream's new abilities and his plummeting energy.

Likewise, the impact sent Rei crashing to the floor, re-opening some of her wounds.

As Shinji rushed to help the sister he had never met, he gritted his teeth.

"_I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away._"

He repeated that mantra in his head. It had helped him endure 14 years of emotional trauma.

"Fine! I'll pilot the Eva. But I'll do it to help my new friends! For Rei's sake! For Mother's sake!"

_To be continued..._

**Bonus Character File:**

**Autobot Profile:** Bumblebee

**Alt. Mode:** Yellow 2010 Suzuki Swift.

**Rank:** Autobot Scout

**Weapons of choice:** Plasma cannon, Energon Battle Pistol

**Brief Bio:** Bumblebee was an average delivery boy before the outbreak of the Great War. After barely surviving a Decepticon attack, he joined the Autobot Academy as a cadet, only to be immediately deployed to the battlefield as Megatron launched an all-out assault on Iacon. Since then, he has courageously served the Autobot cause alongside Optimus Prime, becoming a legend in his own right.

**Holomatter Avatar:** Young Blonde adult male based on Yuri Plisetsky, _Yuri! On Ice_.


	5. The Beast

Sea of Tranquility: The Beast

_**FRASHAKK! **_

_**SPOOM!**_

In the process of engaging Starscream in hand-to-hand combat, Omega received several point-blank blasts from the former Air Commander's eye beams. Eventually, with his armor damaged and Energon leaking from his injuries, he fell over in a tremendous crash.

"Energon: Critical. Damage: Substantial."

"**Finally, I've managed to do what Megatron couldn't throughout his entire reign! Defeat Omega Supreme in a matter of **_**minutes**_."

Before he could fire another beam, Starscream was distracted by an unusually powerful blast to the back of the neck!

"Starscream! Your battle is with me!" bellowed Prime.

Starscream turned around to see Prime with a smoking Path Blaster in the distance.

"**Optimus Prime! Ha! Do you really think you stand a chance against my new body!**"

"Megatron once faced the same odds against Omega Supreme, and yet he succeeded. Let's see how _you_ fare," retorted Prime.

"**Grr! At least with you, I get to hear you die screaming!**"

Starscream charged at Prime, who transformed into vehicle mode and sped away.

"Now, Wheeljack!"

Wheeljack, who had been hiding in position, fired a Thermo Rocket Launcher at the street beneath Starscream, causing it to partially cave into the Geofront and trip up the Fallen Angel. As Starscream regained his footing, a platform opened up a few kilometers down the street.

A peculiar, horned purple-and-green automaton rose in front him, with a power cable dangling from its back.

Prime and Wheeljack stared in awe.

"So that's the weapon Bumblebee was talking about. Evangelion Unit-01" noted Prime.

Eventually, Wheeljack recognized the paint job and realized who the pilot was.

"Is Shinji really piloting that thing? But he's still an adolescent!"

Unfortunately, Starscream overheard the Autobot's poorly-timed exclamation and smiled deviously.

"_**So the humans are so desperate, they send a child against me. I'll have to avenge this insult later**_."

Both combatants began to stroll towards each other, like a pair of duelists.

Suddenly, the Evangelion anti-climatically fell on its face.

"**HAHAHAHAHAHA**! **How disappointingly easy!**"

Starscream picked up the human-made bot and stabbed it through the collar with his arm blade.

"**You should've run back home to your parents, **_**fleshling**_**," **taunted the Fallen Angel.

But his imminent victory was interrupted with another shot to the back, this time with much higher force.

He turned around, expecting to see a weakened Omega Supreme.

However, he saw something much worse.

Earlier, when the still inexperienced Shinji accidentally fell, Prime took the opportunity to scan the Evangelion Unit in hopes of discovering any damage to its interior or to Shinji. Suddenly, the Matrix of Leadership in his chest glowed, and he unexpectedly shifted to gargantuan size!

By a sheer stroke of fate, Optimus Prime, the selfless leader of the Autobots, now held the combined powers of Evangelion and Cybertronian!

"**Now Starscream, where were we?**"

"**Prime! How did you- urgh!"**

Evangelion Unit-01 interrupted Starscream with a powerful kick to the ribs.

"How dare you?!"

Shinji whispered, then he _**roared**_.

"**HOW DARE YOU MOCK MY SUFFERING?! HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY MOTHER'S SOUL?!"**

Slowly, Starscream realized that once again, he had made the mistake of taunting a stronger foe.

Shinji lunged at the Fallen Angel, knocking him off-balance!

Starscream tried to parry with his A.T. Field, but the Eva tore through it, _broke his arms_, and began to pummel him mercilessly!

It snapped off a rib and stabbed at his core repeatedly, cracking it!

To his horror, the Eva proceeded to open its jaws, revealing a nasty set of red teeth.

_**FRASHAKK! SPOOM!**_

Starscream managed to save himself by shooting Eva-01 in the head with his eye beams. But in his single moment of relief, he failed to notice Prime charging at him from behind with his trademark Energon Axe, now enlarged and sporting an ominous crimson glow.

_**THWAACK!**_

_**SHLUUUUNNNNNKK!**_

Prime dug his ax into the back of Starscream's shoulder and dragged it down diagonally, bisecting the Fallen Angel and shattering his core.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGHH!"**

_**SPOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!**_

The Fallen Angel screamed in pain and exploded into a bright, Cross-shaped explosion.

The slightly-damaged Eva let out a mighty roar of victory amidst the flames.

Prime simply turned and walked over to the collapsed form of Omega Supreme and knelt to help his fallen friend.

_On the outskirts of Tokyo-3..._

Amid the chaotic battle, no one noticed a peculiar old man observing events as they unfolded.

Upon its fiery conclusion, the man only sighed and muttered,

"Even with unlimited power, you're still an idiot, Starscream."

The man turned and walked away.

"_Prime, I look forward to catching up with you,_" he thought to himself.

His coat fluttered in the wind, revealing a Walther P-38 in his shoulder holster.

_To be continued…_

**Bonus Character Profile:** Optimus Prime

**Alt. Mode:** Purple & Green (formerly Red & Blue) White Freightliner WFT semi-truck.

**Rank:** Autobot Supreme Commander.

**Brief Bio:** Optimus Prime was originally a humble dockworker named Orion Pax. During the intensification of the Great War, Orion was drafted into the Autobot forces and was severely injured during the Battle of Iacon alongside his companions, Ariel and Dion. The trio was brought to the attention of archivist-turned-medic Alpha Trion, who recognized their potential and rebuilt them into more powerful forms. Orion ascended the Autobot ranks with combat prowess and political maneuvering, ultimately becoming their new Supreme Commander, Optimus Prime.

**Holomatter avatar:** Peter Cullen with glasses, cowboy hat, red shirt, and blue jeans (based on Movie comics depiction).


	6. It's Not Anime

Sea of Tranquility: It's Not Anime

Omega Supreme was on the brink of death.

As an Autobot Guardian, it was not a new experience.

During the height of the Great War, he was often sent on highly dangerous missions against Decepticon strongholds while the Elite Guard, regular Autobot troops, and the Wreckers special forces group attacked weaker defenses and cut off supply lines.

But all the horrors of war could not have prepared him for Starscream's new powers.

It was downright alien, even by his standards.

Omega looked up to see his old friend Prime towering over him and kneeling.

After a moment of contemplation, Prime transformed his Energon Axe into a blade and stabbed Omega Supreme in the chest, transferring much-needed energy into the giant. As his friend's injuries healed in record time, Prime shrunk back to his original size.

Omega regained his footing, towering over the facade of Tokyo-3.

He looked down at Prime, now joined by Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Ironhide.

"What the Pit was that?!" exclaimed an incredulous Ironhide.

"Scanning the Eva must have affected the Matrix," explained Ratchet.

"Prime, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ratchet."

"Did you notice anything peculiar with the Eva?"

"This might be difficult to explain, but I felt a spark within the Eva."

"A spark?"

"Yes, like ours. But this one felt _human_ somehow."

"A human spark? Are you sure, Prime?"

"Whatever it was, it allowed me to match Starscream in power and repair Omega Supreme."

"Omega! Any side-effects on your end?" asked Ironhide.

"**Yes, Ironhide. I've detected a human DNA signature from Evangelion Unit-01. Cross-checking Teletraan-1 Database. It is a positive match for Dr. Yui Ikari."**

"Yui?! Shinji said she was dead in this timeline! How could she possibly be in the Eva?!" exclaimed Wheeljack.

"Probably the same way Starscream took over that creature. I don't know, Wheeljack. There's a lot of things in this realm that unnerves me," confessed Ratchet.

"Speaking of nerves, is the Eva supposed to be retrieved like that?"

Ironhide asked, gesturing towards the still-standing inert Eva-01 being loaded onto a receding platform.

"The Eva's inactive, we should check on Katsuragi and Shinji," ordered Prime.

"Permission to speak, Prime?" said a voice on the commlink.

"Bumblebee! What's the status on Shinji?!"

"A little concussed, but stable. It'd probably be worse if you hadn't helped him out."

"That's a relief. Have you met any other familiar faces?"

"I met Rei, Doctor Akagi, the bridge crew, Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki, and Commander Gendo Ikari."

"Any noticeable changes?"

"Where do I start? Rei's about as emotional as Soundwave, she and Shinji aren't aware of their biological relationship, Ritsuko told me about her mother's death, and to top it all off, Gendo's about as doting as Megatron when it comes to his children!"

"Hmm. 'Personalities Inverted from our Timeline.' Interesting," noted Wheeljack.

"You guys should get your holomatter avatars ready, Nerv and the Japanese Government want to question us. Thanks to our arrival and Starscream's stunt, their planned cover-ups are now useless. The human press is already talking about how we're 'new weapons for an intergalactic war'".

"Acknowledged, Bumblebee. Prime out."

"Propagandists are the same on every planet, aren't they?" quipped Ironhide.

"Every _universe_, Ironhide," answered Wheeljack.

The Autobots burst out laughing, except for Prime, who just smirked under his faceplate. It was their first chuckle in quite a long while.

_Later At Nerv HQ…_

"Evangelion Unit-01 has been successfully retrieved!"

"Start repairs as soon as possible!"

Misato gazed at the technicians as they rushed to repair the Eva.

"Damage Report?" asked the Major.

"Blast Damage to Head. Stab wounds to the collar," reported Ritsuko.

"All things considered, not bad for a first mission."

"'Not Bad?!' Rits, we just sent a troubled child with no combat experience into a state of the art war machine against an all-powerful Eldritch abomination and expected him to kill it with no weapons whatsoever! And this is after it single-handedly wiped out an entire JSDF force and gained sentience! The only reason he survived was because of those Super Robots from another universe helping him out! Damn it, Rits! We're supposed to be a special UN force, not a bunch of screwed-up anime characters!"

"Well, as that old song goes, 'This isn't anime, this is the real thing.' In reality, we have to make do with what we have available, even if we don't like it," retorted Ritsuko.

"Speaking of which, the Commander has it worse."

_Undisclosed location, somewhere near Tokyo-2._

Gendo Ikari felt uncomfortable. Not because of the Committee in front of him, but because his plans had been unexpectedly unraveled over a day.

First, those strange automatons appeared out of the sky and triggered a dramatic change in the Angel.

Next, one of those automatons revealed that his dear wife, whom he had thought deceased, was still alive in a more idealistic universe where the Ikaris stayed together as a loving family.

Then, that same automaton had the gall to call him a cruel coward when he was clearly trying to discipline his son into doing the right thing.

But the most distressing problem in Gendo's mind was:

"_How did that boy know about Rei? He might not be exactly correct about her nature, but he's close."_

Gendo quickly thought of a solution.

"_I should keep them close and ask them more about their universe. Whatever it takes to get Yui back."_

"_And more importantly, screw over these Old Men and their delusions of godhood."_

"Ikari, explain this madness," asked Chairman Keel Lorenz.

"I'm just as confused as you are."

"The Scrolls did not predict the arrival of these interlopers!" exclaimed the Green Committee member, representing the U.S.

"Correct. The Scrolls only foretold the arrival of Angels. However, seeing as the Angel recognized the interlopers and vice versa, could they be their progenitors?"

"You assume these machines are the First Ancestral Race?! Don't be preposterous, Ikari!" said the Blue Russian Representative.

"Ikari may have a point. These machines might not be the F.A.R. themselves, but their drones, so to speak," reasoned the French Representative in Yellow.

"Indeed, one of them managed to fight the Angel effectively while another interacted with Evangelion Unit-01 and assumed its powers," concurred the Red British Representative.

"Very well, Ikari. We'll consider your hypothesis. In the meantime, do try to keep your guests well behaved."

Chairman Lorenz signed off. The other representatives followed suit.

Gendo breathed a sigh of relief.

"I haven't seen you this nervous in a while, Ikari. I suppose they bought our bluff?"

"For now. How are our guests by the way?"

_In a hospital near Tokyo-3…_

A young man woke up in a cold sweat.

As he came to, he noticed something off about the ceiling.

"Whatever you do, don't panic," a voice declared.

He gasped.

"I've told the staff here that you're my son who was injured in the attack."

He turned over to see an old man sitting at the side of his hospital bed.

"Long time no see, Starscream."

The young man gasped once more as he recognized the old man.

"_M-Megatron?!_"

He stared down at his new human figure, clad in a gown with intravenous tubes stretching out of his arms.

The young man screamed in terror, to the alarm of nearby nurses.

_To Be Continued..._


	7. Beautiful World

Sea of Tranquility: Beautiful World

The young man woke up again.

He looked around and noticed daylight.

"I specifically remembered ordering you not to panic."

That voice again!

"You always had a passion for disappointing me, Starscream."

"I only tolerated you for so long because your incompetence gave the Autobots a weakness to exploit, upon which I would entrap them."

"H-How are we still alive? How are we _human_?!" Starscream whined.

"Relax, Starscream. As it turns out, the creature you possessed shares 98% of its genetic material with human beings. Enough matter remained to regenerate into your current form. As for me, I simply used a holomatter avatar, like our Autobot friends are now using."

The old man gestured towards the TV.

On the screen was their old enemies in human form, explaining the nature of the Transformers for the press to devour.

"Prime's been going on for a while. Basically the same old scrap about us being 'extremist revolutionaries who became the very tyrants we fought against.'"

"Speaking of which, who is Galvatron?"

"Ah, the old purple bot that shot you and sent you here. Sounded like me, didn't he?"

"Aren't you two the same bot?"

"For once, you're almost correct, Starscream. He is me but from another universe. Perhaps this one."

"Another universe?"

"Yes, Prime said it himself. 'We came from another universe where the Earth was still whole and blue.' You wouldn't believe the humans' excitement after he said that."

"You're telling me that instead of the Pit or the Well of All Sparks, our sparks travel to another universe after death?!"

"So it would seem. After all, the last time you saw Prime and me, we were walking piles of scrap metal."

"I can't believe this. After everything we've done, everything we've survived, we have to suffer all over again?!"

"Consider it a second chance to make things right."

Megatron stared out at the devastated city from the hospital room's window.

"This planet suffered from a major catastrophe some 15 years ago. There are those who seek to demolish it and rebuild it from the ashes. In the past, I would've agreed, but now I see that this miserable little world is like a raw Energon crystal. It just needs the right servos to refine it to a more beautiful, functional state."

He looked back at Starscream.

"Do you remember the Functionist Council?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, as it turns out, there's a human organization on this planet of similar size, scope, and goals. They are the ones behind the Evangelion Units."

"Are you suggesting we overthrow this organization?"

"Not entirely. Just nudge them in the right direction."

"And what of the Autobots?"

"They'll have their own issues to confront. Best if we avoid them for now."

"So we're just gonna sulk in the shadows?"

"Of course, Starscream. It's what you do best."

_Elsewhere in Tokyo-3…_

Shinji tried to regain some semblance of his former life. Despite his insistence on living alone, Major Katsuragi decided to take legal custody of him and offered to share her apartment. Apart from the mess and her abnormal pet penguin, Pen-Pen, it seemed that Shinji had found a comfortable home at last.

But even then, he still remembered the house he shared with his old teacher after his father more-or-less abandoned him. It was modified from a pre-Second Impact warehouse, but it was always his childhood home. He remembered how the teacher consoled him over the loss of his mother, something his father never bothered to do. He remembered the cello lessons they learned during school breaks, the SDAT he received as a Christmas gift…

But what he remembered most was that peculiar pistol in the display case.

The teacher told him it was a gift from a late mentor who had fought in the Wehrmacht during WW2 and had since become a professor. Shinji had always wondered how the teacher managed to get it into Japan legally, and once he was old enough to learn about the Second World War, he was confused by the lack of historical markings on it.

The only marking on it was a purple symbol, almost like a face mask.

Shinji searched his more recent memories. He remembered seeing a similar symbol appear on the Angel he fought, only it was white.

"_That symbol… Wakamoto-Sensei, how did you really get that gun?" _

Shinji thought to himself as he walked over to join Misato for dinner.

"_Today marks a seminal moment in human history. The day humanity made contact with extraterrestrial beings, both friendly and hostile…"_

In the living room, Misato was busy flipping TV channels. Most of them commented on Prime's press conference but didn't show the speech itself.

"_If this talk of a brighter alternate universe is true…"_

"_The Transformers, as they have been so eloquently nicknamed…"_

"_The Vatican issued a complaint to the UN after its use of the term 'Angel' to describe…"_

"_In other news, fears of gang warfare spread after the murder of alleged yakuza boss Ryota Takahashi!"_

"Looks like our new friends are pretty famous."

Misato muttered, then found what she was looking for.

"_I am Optimus Prime, Supreme Commander of the Autobots. Today, we have arrived on this planet to protect all those who call it home from those who seek its destruction. We fight, not to subjugate others, but to ensure the freedom of all sentient beings. We have learned of the Second Impact and its disastrous effects on Earth's populace and ecosystems. We deeply lament our inability to prevent this catastrophe. But allow me to explain why that is so." _

"_A few days ago, we departed our adoptive home planet to respond to a distress call. The inhabitants there once reacted to us with awe as you do now. I once gave a speech as I am doing now. But when we left that planet, we clearly remembered its blue oceans, its distinct polar ice caps. For you see, that planet was Earth, in the year 2029."_

It was at this point that the audience gasped.

"_In another universe, millions of years ago, a revolution defeated the Functionist Council on our home planet, Cybertron. The Council ruled it under a regime of bigotry, state violence, and expansionism. But as you are probably aware, revolutions rarely end peacefully. The extremist Decepticon faction became drunk on their own power and transformed into the very tyrants we fought to replace. Our civil war devastated Cybertron and rendered it lifeless."_

"_We fled to Earth, where we awoke in the year 1884 when humanity's greatest invention was the steam engine. But when we awoke, so did our enemies. For the next 150 years, we stayed and fought in disguise, forming alliances with such historical figures as Nikola Tesla, Jules Verne, and Mark Twain. Over time, humanity, as well as other species across the universe, proved themselves as valuable allies in the ongoing war against existential threats, such as the Decepticons and the so-called 'Angels' which made landfall on this planet. By following its unique energy signature, we arrived here, to our mutual confusion."_

Misato turned off the TV.

Shinji didn't say anything in response. Both of them needed time to realize the implications of Prime's words.

"_A universe where the Earth is not only blue and full of life but a cultural center for various planets and species to live in -and fight for- freedom and peace." _

"_Can such a beautiful world truly exist? Or is it an overly idealistic fantasy, like a tranquil sea, too infrequent to be true?"_


	8. Like Old Times

Sea of Tranquility: Like Old Times

Starscream stared at the filthy repurposed warehouse Megatron called a home.

"You call this dump a base?"

Three weeks had passed since his strange battle and eventual admittance to the hospital. The doctors and nurses had apparently believed Megatron's story that they were an ordinary squabbling father and son. Now forced to walk around in human bodies, Starscream felt a bit degraded from his "downgrade."

Megatron, surprisingly, took it all in stride.

"This was once a human storage unit before the Second Impact wiped out the coastal regions and displaced everything. With all the chaos, anything with a ceiling was an invaluable shelter."

"You've been a human that long? You've haven't gone soft, have you?"

Megatron smirked, then explained further.

"You see, Starscream, I was just as distraught as you were when I realized I had to adopt a human disguise. After all, who would choose to be an ordinary human over being a Cybertronian with powerful strength, weaponry, and a transformation cog?"

"Well, that's your fault for picking a pistol as an alternate mode. Even Shockwave and Soundwave chose to become cars after a while."

"Ah, but I can still obtain a car." Megatron retorted, gesturing to the silver Nissan 370Z they used to get home from the hospital, now parked in the corner.

"By the way, how did you afford that car?"

"Oh, I stole that from Takahashi's place."

"That crime boss on the news? _You're_ the one who shot him?!"

"Yes! If you recall, my alternate mode comes with a scope, a barrel extension/suppressor, and a detachable collapsible stock. I sniped the felon as he and his bodyguards were running away from your beating at Prime's hands."

"You're welcome," Starscream replied sarcastically.

"Once Takahashi went 'offline,' his followers started fighting amongst themselves, much like Decepticons every now and then. I took the chance to raid their inventories."

"Heh. You should've seen the Decepticons after I threw you out of the shuttle, no offense."

"None taken. It was probably one of your more effective attempts at ousting me."

Starscream took a moment to calm himself, then continued.

"Anyways, I meant to ask you about what happened after Astrotrain."

"As we floated towards the brink of death, I saw a planet moving towards us. When it got closer, I was awestruck to meet Unicron himself face-to-face."

"Unicron?! As in the 'Eater of Planets, Destroyer of Galaxies?' _That_ Unicron?!"

"Yes, Starscream, the legends are true. I accepted his offer of becoming his herald, and he granted me a new body, the one you called Galvatron."

Suddenly Starscream bellowed.

"Galvatron was _YOU_?! I knew it! I knew that whole 'alternate universe' thing was a lie!"

"Yet, here we are. Besides, if I told you the truth, you would've caused even more trouble at the hospital after your little panic attack."

Starscream huffed.

"Fine, continue the story."

"After humiliating you at your coronation, I suddenly remembered that Shockwave was quite the ambitious one too. He, Deathsaurus, and Esmeral perforated Scourge, Cyclonus, and I with Cosmic Rust guns in nanoseconds. The Sweeps immediately surrendered, too, those cowards!"

Starscream paused, then he laughed.

"**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** That's what you get for ruining my moment, Megatron! Oh, that Shockwave! I should treat him to Maccadam's when we get back! Oh, ho ho!"

Annoyed, Megatron slapped Starscream.

"Quiet, fool! They were aiming for _you_! As a consequence of my ignorance, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and I suddenly awoke to find ourselves in our old bodies and in Antarctica, just in time for the whole place to explode. After somehow surviving that, we made our way to Japan where we met you."

"How come I haven't seen Skywarp and Thundercracker?"

"They were amongst the fighter jets shooting at you that night. In hindsight, you should've been nicer to them."

Starscream slowly turned beet red.

As if on cue, Skywarp and Thundercracker returned to the "base."

"Lord Megatron, we have returned with the supplies for- **STARSCREAM?!**"

"Oh, scrap." Skywarp squeaked timidly.

"**YOU TRAITOROUS BASTAAAAARDS!" **

Starscream chased the duo, screaming obscenities all the while.

Megatron simply sighed at the mayhem.

"Just like old times."

_Meanwhile, across the city.._.

Bumblebee escorted Shinji as they both walked to Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School. The streets were still packed from all the road repairs after the last Angel Attack. Even with the Autobots assisting reconstruction efforts, progress took time.

"You seem happy today, Shinji. That's an improvement," said Bumblebee.

"Yeah, I was a nervous wreck before I met you and the other Autobots.

So far, you guys and Misato are the only ones I really can call friends."

"Let's hope you'll make more today."

Shinji felt surprisingly calm about starting his first day of school.

Typical transfer students would be nervous, but he had just slain an eldritch abomination with the help of alien robot allies with only a slight concussion to prove it. Anything after that would seem natural.

As they approached the school, the pair noticed some schoolgirls whispering excitedly as they approached the entrance.

"See? You've already got fans!"

"I think those are yours, Bumblebee."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure they'll warm up to you eventually. See ya later!"

With that, Bumblebee waved goodbye and left, still in his holomatter avatar.

Shinji could've sworn he heard swooning.

As he moved towards Class 2-A, Shinji heard more swooning, only this time it was _male._

"_Mr. Maruyama had to be reshuffled to Class 2-B. So, I'll be your teacher from now on, okay?"_

"_Yes, ma'am!" _the male students shouted rather suggestively.

"A new teacher?" Shinji thought.

He opened the door and entered the classroom.

Shinji was immediately taken aback by the new teacher's appearance.

She somewhat resembled a slightly younger Misato, with the figure to match.

Her hair was dark sapphire blue with purple and raspberry streaks, tied into a ponytail.

She wore glasses over her oddly violet eyes and a relatively modest dress shirt and skirt that nonetheless accentuated her shapely legs.

"Good morning, Ikari. I'm Ms. Towa Sawashiro. Class, this is our new transfer student, Shinji Ikari. I expect all of you to treat him with respect."

**Bonus Character File: **Megatron

**Alt. Mode:** Customized Walther P-38 pistol

**Rank:** Decepticon Supreme Leader

**Brief Bio:** Megatron was once a peaceful Energon miner turned part-time philosopher who was caught up in the political violence of Functionist-era Cybertron. After narrowly escaping a prison ship, Megatron refined his combat skills in the gladiatorial pits of Kaon. Now armed with intellect, charisma, and massive firepower, Megatron started an armed revolution against the Council, allying himself with internal reformers such as Orion Pax. However, once the Council fell, Megatron became corrupted by his megalomania and paranoia, turning against his moderate allies, including Pax's faction, the Autobots. The ensuing war dragged on for millennia, devastating many worlds in the process, starting with Cybertron. After so many years of bloodshed, can Megatron ever return to his righteous self?

**Holomatter Avatar:** Takeshi Kitano as Otomo, _Outrage_ film series.


	9. An Ordinary Class

Sea of Tranquility: An Ordinary Class

_Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School, Class 2-A._

Three weeks had passed since Toji Suzuhara and his younger sister, Sakura, were nearly killed in the crossfire during the opening battle of humanity's first intergalactic war.

Thanks to the fateful intervention of the Autobot Ratchet, Sakura's injuries were quickly treated, and both siblings watched as the Evangelion Unit, and the Autobot Commander Optimus Prime teamed up to defeat the rampaging fallen Angel, Starscream.

For the next three weeks, Toji would remain at his sister's side as she successfully recovered in the hospital, much to their father's relief. Like with most students in this class, Toji and Sakura lost their mother in the chaos of Second Impact and its immediate aftermath. After the loss of his wife, Mr. Suzuhara devoted himself to his business and subsequently left Toji to hold the fort most of the time, something the boy never forgave him for. Nonetheless, the man was still human enough to visit his injured daughter.

As Toji would later find out, some of his classmates weren't as lucky.

Toji walked to his usual seat next to his old friend Kensuke Aida, whose nerdy obsession with military technology deeply contrasted with the latter's athleticism and passion for basketball. Kensuke was recording a mock battle between some figures with his camera, which earned him a scolding from Hikari Horaki, the class representative.

"Seriously, Kensuke? Playing with toys in class? What are you, 5?" Toji snarked.

"Come on, Toji. I was making my dramatization of Nerv's first battle!"

Kensuke suddenly paused, realizing the potential harm of his excuse.

"Aida! Apologize for that remark this instant!" Hikari yelled at him.

"Sorry, Toji. I didn't mean to... "

"It's fine, Kensuke. It's been three weeks, Sakura got out yesterday."

"Really? That's good news!" complemented Hikari.

"Yeah, it would've been worse if Ratchet hadn't saved us."

"Ratchet? The Autobot that turns into an ambulance?"

Kensuke asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yes, that old geezer. He acts exactly like the grizzled veteran you see in war movies."

"I'm so jealous of you right now!"

"Aida…" snarled Hikari.

"Eep! Sorry, Toji! I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me this morning!"

"I know what you're trying to say, Kensuke. I don't mind. Rep, you really need to lighten up."

"Hmph! As a class representative, I have a reputation to uphold. You two should be on your best behavior today! We've got a new teacher _and_ a new student!"

"About time. All Mr. Maruyama talks about is how the Second Impact happened and how it destroyed his old home and how we have to 'build a new world for ourselves.' We got it the first time! Why do we keep learning things we already know?!" ranted Toji.

"Sorry for the rant, I just wish we have a younger teacher instead of that senile retiree."

"You should be more respectful, Suzuhara," admonished Hikari.

"Besides, I hear its a young woman."

"Really! I hope she's pretty!" Kensuke swooned.

"Aida, don't make me break out the fan…" warned Hikari.

"Sorry! Shutting up…"

Suddenly, Hikari heard a pair of footsteps outside the door.

"Class! Rise!"

The classroom stood at attention.

The door opened.

In walked the most beautiful woman Kensuke thought he ever saw.

Her hair was dark sapphire blue with purple and raspberry streaks, tied into a ponytail.

She wore glasses over her oddly violet eyes and a relatively modest dress shirt and skirt that nonetheless accentuated her shapely legs.

She looked like the main characters of the magical girl shows he was so fond of watching.

Naturally, most of the male (and some female) students agreed.

The teacher and students exchanged bows.

"Mr. Maruyama had to be reshuffled to Class 2-B. So, I'll be your teacher from now on, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the male students shouted rather suggestively, much to the chagrin of some female classmates, including Hikari.

The door opened once more, revealing the new transfer student.

"Good morning, Ikari."

He respectfully bowed, after a brief moment of gawking at her.

"I'm Ms. Towa Sawashiro. Class, this is our new transfer student, Shinji Ikari. I expect all of you to treat him with respect."

Suddenly, Toji was shocked out of his love-induced stupor by a sudden recollection from that fateful night.

"_What's the status on Bumblebee and Ikari?"_

"_Drop off the Second Lieutenant and Corporal at the nearest shelter first. As for Bumblebee, he said Nerv was deploying some kind of anti-Angel weapon_."

Slowly, Toji connected the dots.

"_Ikari?! Wasn't he the guy who piloted the Eva?!"_

"_This can't be a coincidence. There's got to be a reason why he's here."_

Then, he made a momentous decision.

"Ikari! Aren't you the pilot of the Evangelion!"

"Suzuhara! Watch your tongue!" admonished Hikari.

Shinji was taken aback.

"How did you know?" he asked innocently.

"EHHHHHHHH?!" gasped the class.

"I overheard the Autobots talking about you on the radio. One of them, Ratchet, saved my sister and me during that mess."

"At first, I kinda blamed you for my sister's injuries because I thought you wasted time. But then I saw how ferociously you and Optimus Prime kicked that thing's ass. I guess you guys had to plan things out, huh?"

"Uh, sure... "

Shinji stammered, trying to formulate a right answer.

"Anyways, I'm sorry about your sister, but if its any consolation, mine was injured too."

"Oh, I didn't realize…"

"Yeah, it was kinda sudden. We actually didn't…"

Ms. Sawashiro cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, but can you two continue this later?"

"Yeah, uh, let's talk outside later," said Toji awkwardly.

"Understood," replied Shinji.

Thus the class continued. For once, Class 2-A seemed just like any other classroom in Japan.

But it wouldn't be for long.

_To be continued..._

**Bonus Character File: **Ratchet

**Alt. Mode: **Red and White Hummer H2 Ambulance

**Rank:** Autobot Medic

**Brief Bio:** Ratchet was once an idealistic doctor graduating from Iacon's Academy of Science and Technology. However, changing fortunes brought Ratchet into the ranks of Orion Pax's Autobots, where he served on the front lines as a combat medic. Ratchet's firsthand experience of a millennia-long war irrevocably scarred him mentally and physically, leaving him a cynical shadow of his former self. Despite his external attitude, Ratchet profoundly cares for his Autobot and organic allies and like his old friend, Omega Supreme, is willing to sacrifice himself to protect them.

**Holomatter avatar:** Donald Pleasence as Dr. Samuel Loomis, _Halloween _franchise.


	10. Duty and Destiny

Sea of Tranquility: Duty and Destiny

_Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School, outside Class 2-A…_

"That's how you got caught up in that mess? A letter from your deadbeat dad?"

Toji reacted incredulously as Shinji recounted the events of the battle with Sachiel, later Starscream.

"Yeah, and he didn't even bother asking how I was doing. He just wrote 'Come here!' in the letter, and when we saw the Autobots arrive, he just asked if 'the Child' was secure!"

"How did he react when your sister got hurt?"

"That's the thing. I didn't even know I had a sister up until I saw them. He didn't tell me _anything_ for fourteen years!"

"Really? Damn, Shinji. Either your dad's a complete dumbass or a complete asshole."

"Oh, it gets better. When I showed up, he told me to get in the robot and fight, or she would have to do it, even though it was _painfully obvious_ that she was seriously injured!"

"Well that narrows it down, he's an asshole!"

"What's your sister's name?" asked Kensuke.

"Rei Ayanami," answered Shinji.

Toji and Kensuke stared at him for a moment, then the realization hit.

"AYANAMI'S YOUR SISTER?!" yelled the slackjawed duo.

"Yes. As I said, I didn't know until we met. Even then, Bumblebee was the one that said it out loud."

"Dude, no offense, but your sister's kind of the hottest chick in school right now," remarked Kensuke.

Toji glared at his old friend, then punched him in the gut.

"Okay, Kensuke, I was saving that punch for Ikari. But after our talk, I find you a more deserving target."

"I said 'no offense'..." groaned Kensuke.

"That was a warning punch. If you don't think before you speak next time, I'll tell the class rep."

"You wouldn't! She'll have my stuff confiscated!"

As the pair bickered, Shinji saw a familiar face walk towards him.

Sure enough, it was his long-lost blue-haired twin sister.

"Ayanami!"

When she reached him, however, he quickly noticed something different.

"You're... all healed now."

"Yes. Ms. Sawashiro helped remove my bandages. When she was done, my wounds rapidly healed somehow."

"But that's…"

"Impossible, of course. Anyways, there's an emergency call at headquarters."

"Another Angel?"

"Most likely."

Right on schedule, Bumblebee arrived in his Suzuki Swift form and opened a door.

"Duty calls, my friend."

Shinji gulped, then ran towards the Autobot.

He glanced back towards his friends.

"You guys better find a shelter!" he shouted.

"Give 'em hell, Shinji!" yelled Kensuke.

Bumblebee sped off towards Nerv HQ, leaving a trail of dust.

"I told you, you'd make new friends, didn't I?"

"Yeah, about that…"

_Back at Megatron's Warehouse Base…_

"Welp, there goes the Angel alarms."

"Thanks, Skywarp, for stating the glaringly obvious."

"Oh, can the sarcasm, Thundercracker, that's Starscream's thing."

"Hey! How dare you insult your superior officer!"

"Superior? At least we can turn off our human disguises!"

"Why I oughta…"

"Enough!" barked Megatron.

"Thundercracker, how far is the Angel?"

"Blazing past the human defenses at Odawara. It'll be here within 5 minutes."

"The Evangelions?"

"Unit-01 is being prepped for combat. Unit-00 is still under maintenance."

"Keep me updated. Skywarp, how did your salvaging mission go?"

"Managed to pilfer a shipment of Owen guns headed for Southeast Asia. Takahashi's getting sloppy since his dad's friends turned on him."

"Excellent, Skywarp. These will be suitable for now."

"You're planning on waging a gang war with 70-year-old guns?" asked Starscream.

"This coming from the guy with a 70-million-year-old gun," snarked Skywarp.

Starscream was about to answer with a witty retort but was interrupted by Thundercracker.

"Omega Supreme has intercepted the Angel! Eva-01 dispatched to provide support!"

"Omega?! I thought I killed him!" complained Starscream.

"After defeating you, Prime infused his excess Energon into Omega's chassis and shrank back to his usual size," explained Megatron.

"How did he grow Eva-sized anyway?"

"He must have scanned Eva-01 when it fell down, triggering a reaction with the Matrix."

"Of course! I should've known that wasn't a rookie mistake! The kid must have planned it all along!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my best student."

"What do you mean 'best student?'"

"You see, Starscream when I first arrived in post-Second Impact Japan, I took a job as an educator. One day, I was unexpectedly forced to adopt one of my students, a human child by the name of Shinji Ikari."

"Ikari? You don't mean-!"

"Yes, Starscream. The current pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 is formerly my adopted son."

"Does Prime know this?"

"No. As far as Nerv is concerned, his former guardian was 'Professor Seizo Wakamoto.' Though if the truth does come out, I'll personally tell him I did a better job raising Shinji than his current ally, Gendo, who by the way, is part of that Council I told you about."

"How do you know these things?"

"Look in the cabinet drawer beneath the display case."

Starscream turned towards the case Megatron pointed.

He opened the drawer, revealing a set of graphic novels and some DVD box sets.

"What in the Pit is this?"

"A gift from a contact in Axiom Nexus. Read the title and see if it sounds familiar."

"_New Century Evangelion. Story and Art by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Original Concept by Gainax."_

To his shock, Starscream recognized his opponent on the cover. He quickly skimmed through the pages.

"This… this perfectly describes the universe we're in! How is that even possible?!"

"'What is real in one universe is fictional in another and vice versa.' I call it 'Megatron's Rule of Parallel Realities.' Read through it, Starscream, and you just might begin to understand the plans I have in store for this universe."

_To be continued…_


	11. Shinji's Good Friends

Sea of Tranquility: Shinji's Good Friends

"This is a terrible, _**terrible **_idea," remarked Ironhide.

Shortly before Shamshel struck, the Autobots were planning on how to effectively assist Nerv.

"I am afraid the Angels might quickly adapt after that incident with Starscream. It would be better for Nerv to utilize Cybertronian weaponry," explained Optimus Prime.

"This goes completely against the Tyrest Accord. What would Ultra Magnus say about this?"

"The Tyrest Accord is no longer valid in light of recent revelations of Tyrest's involvement with the Functionist Council. Ultra Magnus agrees with me on this and annulled it in favor of the NEST Alliance treaty."

"That doesn't mean we should hand over our strongest weapons to any human organization that we encounter! Especially one as shady as Nerv."

"I'm afraid I must concur with Ironhide on this. What if humans start using Cybertronian weapons in their wars? You saw what they did with the 'mobile suits' in our absence! One year, they'll claim it's for defensive purposes. By the next year, they have entire armies at each other's throats!"

"A regrettable instance, Ratchet. But honestly, were we Cybertronians any better?"

"I… You have a point, Prime."

**WOO-WOO-WOO-WOO-WOO!**

"That's the Emergency Alert!"

"_Prime! This is Major Katsuragi! An Angel just breached our defenses at Odawara! We need you to hold them off while we prepare Eva-01!"_

"Copy! Ratchet, prepare Omega Supreme for takeoff!"

A few seconds later, Omega blasted off from his hiding spot near the base of Mount Fuji.

_Several minutes later, Outskirts of Tokyo-3…_

"This is a terrible idea."

Toji whispered to Kensuke.

"Why the hell did you have to drag me into this?"

"You said you wanted to support Shinji."

"Yes, as in _moral_ support, Kensuke! Not stand out in the middle of the battlefield without any protection whatsoever!"

"Don't worry, he's got the Autobots supporting him. Let's see how well our new friends fight."

"I still think we should've chosen something sturdier than a hill."

"What, like a missile platform? Haven't you seen a monster movie, Toji? Those things are the first to go!"

Suddenly, a missile platform exploded in the distance.

"Oh, damn it! Here they come!"

The vaguely-insectoid body of Shamshel, the Fourth Angel, barreled through the sky. Pursuing it was the Giant Autobot Omega Supreme, whose attempts to pummel it with massive firepower had limited success.

Omega transformed and tried to engage the Angel at close quarters. However, Shamshel deployed energy whip-like tentacles and flung the outmatched Autobot towards a hill.

The very same hill Kensuke and Toji were standing on.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" **

Fortunately, Omega Supreme landed just far enough to avoid squashing the duo.

The Angel tried to move in for the kill, but the other Autobots had set up positions and distracted it with powerful blasts from Nucleon Shock Cannons and Thermo Rocket Launchers taken from Omega's reserves.

"**Identified: Suzuhara, Toji, and Aida, Kensuke. Suggestion: Evacuate premises immediately." **

"Yes, sir…"

Kensuke complied sadly.

Toji, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on, let's leave this to the professionals. Also, we should get back before-"

"Before what, Mr. Suzuhara?"

"Oh, Ms. Sawashiro,"

Toji answered sheepishly.

"I suppose Hikari told you about Kensuke's outbursts recently. I tried to tell him it was dangerous, but he insisted!"

"Okay, why do you keep blaming me for this sh-"

Before Kensuke could complete his colorful sentence, he and Toji vanished in a flash of light.

Towa Sawashiro walked towards the resting Autobot. Noticeably, her glasses had disappeared along with the troublesome students.

"Nice to meet you again, Omega."

"**Identified: Sparkle, Twilight. Crown Princess of Equestria. How might I be of service, Your Highness?"**

"Has Shinji launched yet?"

"Negative, Nerv is still preparing weapons for the Eva. Ikari just arrived at HQ."

"You fought well, Omega. Allow me to assist you."

With a wave of her hand, Twilight's eyes and palm glowed with an intense purple aura.

Runes appeared on Omega's armor glowing white with energy.

"Old Equestrian spell. Those runes will strengthen your armor for the duration of the battle."

"**Your assistance is appreciated, Your Highness."**

"_Princess Twilight?! What are you doing here?_"

Bumblebee interrupted on the commlink.

"Let's just say it has to do with that mysterious energy source you were tracking."

Just in time, Evangelion Unit-01 emerged from a hidden elevator platform.

However, something was a bit odd.

"HOW DID YOU GUYS GET IN THERE?!"

Misato bellowed at the viewscreen.

Likewise, her underlings at Nerv, Lieutenants Maya Ibuki, Shigeru Aoba, and Makoto Hyuga were just as dumbstruck.

"Maya, what the hell was that?!" asked Ritsuko.

"Magi is still analyzing that previous Energy Spike. It's unrecognizable!" answered Ibuki.

"No signs of mental contamination, Eva is still synchronized with the Third Child," reported Aoba.

"Subjects identified as Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida. They're Shinji's classmates!" reported Hyuga.

"_Oh, dear. I must've messed up the teleportation spell again,"_ said Twilight over the commlink.

"Who is this?!" demanded Fuyutsuki.

"Professor Towa Sawashiro, or as my friends call me, Princess Twilight of Equestria."

"Sawashiro-sensei?! You're actually a princess?" asked an incredulous Shinji.

"I'll explain in detail later. I'll help Omega Supreme provide suppressing fire, you close in for the kill!"

"Roger!"

Shinji grabbed the minigun from its building-sized container and charged at the Angel, firing wildly. Omega did the same with substantially stronger firepower.

Shamshel lashed out at both opponents, breaking Unit-01's minigun and slashing Omega across the chest.

**CHHK-BOOM!**

The protective rune on Omega's chest detonated, firing shards through Shamshel's tentacle and into its body, wounding it.

"**SCREEEEE!" **

The Angel shrieked in response.

"**Reactive Armor. Interesting." **Omega dryly remarked.

"Shinji, grab a melee weapon!" shouted Kensuke.

"What?"

"The Angel's wounded! It says here that you have a Progressive Knife in the shoulder pylon. Take that knife and shank it!"

Just then, the Angel lashed out blindly and severed Unit-01's power source, the building containing its Umbilical cable.

"We're losing power, Shinji! Do it now!" yelled Toji.

Shinji deployed the Prog Knife as Kensuke suggested.

It resembled a large jackknife which unfolded and revealed a glowing Bowie-style blade.

Against Misato's yelling at him to pull back, Shinji heeded his friends' advice and charged at Shamshel's core.

The Angel tried to stab him with its tentacles again, only to strike an A.T. Field. As it broke through, another explosive rune appeared on Unit-01's chest!

Reeling from the pain once more, Shamshel did not resist when Shinji roared and struck his knife into its core.

The Angel's core cracked and leaked a blood-like substance, then its tentacles vanished, and its body crumpled towards the ground.

Surprisingly, it didn't explode into a Cross like its predecessor.

On the ground, Twilight enveloped herself in a bright golden glow.

Her civilian attire was now replaced by a form-fitting purple plugsuit.

It was similar to the ones worn by Shinji and Rei, but with a pair of dark blue wings and star sigil on the back instead of a unit number.

To the amazement of the Nerv staff, she flew up to face level with Omega and Unit-01.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

_To be continued..._


	12. Wildest Dreams

Sea of Tranquility: Wildest Dreams

_En route to Autobot City, 2005..._

An explosion rocked the supply shuttle.

"Megatron! Decepticons!" yelled Brawn.

"Die, Autobots!"

Megatron yelled as he transformed into pistol mode for Starscream to use.

Brawn barely let out another word before a shot shattered his shoulder.

The tough Autobot collapsed, finished off by Skywarp.

Prowl returned fire, only to be shot in the chest by Scavenger.

Ironhide used to hate the uptight bureaucrat, but as he watched the flames spew out of Prowl's mouth, he felt a twinge of grief.

He and Ratchet returned fire as well and were promptly gunned down by the rest of Decepticons.

As Ironhide laid on the floor, leaking Energon everywhere, he overheard parts of Megatron's plan.

"When we slip past their defenses...attack Autobot City... vanquished forever!"

Eventually, Ironhide decided to give one last message of defiance to the Decepticons.

He grabbed Megatron's leg and drew a knife.

"NOOOO!"

But before Ironhide could strike, Megatron had already lowered his fusion cannon at him.

"Such heroic nonsense."

Then everything went black.

_Tokyo-3, Japan, 2015…_

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Princess Twilight Sparkle turned towards the assembled Autobots.

"Before you arrived on this planet, you experienced some sort of nightmare, haven't you?"

"I saw Megatron cutting down Prowl, Brawn, Ratchet, and me before shooting me in the head," recalled Ironhide.

"I saw myself physically fused with Megatron and lashing out at everything, Autobot and Decepticon," recalled Ratchet.

"I saw Megatron torture me and rip out my voice chip. It was horrifying!" said Bumblebee

"I saw Windcharger and me getting overwhelmed and shot by Seekers," said Wheeljack.

"I saw Megatron shooting me in the chest multiple times as Rodimus tried to save me," said Prime.

"What about you, Omega?"

"I was still offline at that time. Ratchet did not activate me until after Starscream's arrival."

"Do you recall anything from the beginning of the trip?"

"Yes, we transwarped towards where we detected that energy signature. We suspected that it came from a Decepticon super-weapon, but some sort of feedback knocked us into emergency stasis lock mid-transit!" explained Ratchet.

"When we all regained consciousness, we arrived outside this Earth's atmosphere. Needless to say, we were shocked by its current state." Prime explained further.

"You think that feedback caused the nightmares?"

"No, Wheeljack, I think your nightmares were visions of alternate universes."

"Like the one we're in right now?"

"Correct, Bumblebee. The reason I'm here is that Vector Prime detected something seriously wrong with the fabric of reality. Different universes are starting to merge together. The entire multiverse has already shrunk by 1%. Princess Luna and I volunteered to investigate, the others are holding the fort back home."

"What about the Ikaris? WILLE? The EDF?" asked Ironhide.

"They're still keeping the Kaiju- er, the Titans- under check."

"That's what they're calling them now? Wasn't there a human faction called 'the Titans?'" wondered Bumblebee.

"Oh, _those_ Titans, I heard they call themselves the 'New Desides' now. They're still a bunch of elitist jerks, though."

"Who's leading NEST at the moment?" asked Prime.

"Dai Atlas and Star Saber. Ultra Magnus is on Cybertron."

"I see…"

"It was there that Vector Prime briefed us on the situation. One spell later, we arrived here, on the night of your arrival."

"So you saw…"

"Yes, your debut fight against Starscream. After that, Luna and I took on new identities as the teacher and vice-principal of Shinji's school."

Twilight waved her hands again.

Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke were teleported out of the inert Unit-01's Entry Plug and levitated before her in an energy bubble.

"I was right, she was a magical girl! This is awesome!" swooned Kensuke.

"Can't we talk on the ground?" whined Toji.

"Ms. Sawashiro- I mean, Your Highness, I-"

"You can just call me 'Twilight,' Shinji."

"Twilight-sensei, Prime, I should've told you this sooner."

"What is it, Shinji?"

"Back when I was young, my father left me in the care of one of my professors. He owned a pistol with a strange marking on it. I didn't realize what that symbol meant until I saw it on the Third Angel's wing during our battle."

Prime widened his optics, his fellow Autobots did the same.

"Megatron…" growled Prime

"Megatron? That rogue rebel leader you talked about on the news?"

"Shinji, I need you to trust me on this. Your professor is not who he says he is. He is a manipulative sociopath of the worst kind and more importantly, _he knows what you'll become. _I told you that in our universe, you and your family were our trusted allies. He's probably planning to use you and Nerv for some scheme to conquer the universe, let alone Earth!"

It was Shinji's turn to cry.

"So, it was all a lie?"

"Shinji, I'm sorry he betrayed you. But can you tell us where you last saw him?"

"No need to interrogate the boy, Prime. He's suffered enough."

The Autobots turned towards the direction of the new voice.

"Commander Ikari."

"I will deal with Shinji and his former professor. You, on the other hand, should prepare for the next Angel."

"Ikari, you have no idea of what Megatron is capable of!"

"If he is as cunning as you claim, he should have made a noticeable move by now."

"Commander, with all due respect, I-"

"And as for you, Your Highness, I'll accept your offer of assisting our fight against the Angels. But until the next one strikes, I respectfully insist that you remain a teacher and nothing more, understood?"

"How dare you-"

"It's fine, Bumblebee. I'll accept your terms, Ikari. But as a teacher, I highly suggest that you take better care of both your children."

Gendo swallowed his pride.

"I cannot sacrifice the well-being of humanity for the sake of two teenagers, even if they are my own. Katsuragi is taking care of Shinji, and Rei can take care of herself. On top of that, I have Section 2 on standby should any threat to either of them arise."

He took one last glare at all the combatants.

"This conversation is finished. You three with me!"

"They're probably gonna wipe our minds or something," groaned Toji.

"Quite the contrary, you two have just been drafted."

Gendo remarked in his usual serious tone.

"Sakura's gonna kill me."

"This is the best day ever!"

In a day, Kensuke Aida encountered giant robots, alien monsters, a magical girl, and joined a war for the fate of the multiverse.

It was an otaku's wildest dream come true.

_To be continued..._

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, I've been in a bad mood ever since the Kyoto Animation attack. Watched a lot of good shows from them, especially Violet Evergarden. Pray and donate for them, will you? (** f/help-kyoani-heal)


	13. Atonement

Sea of Tranquility: Atonement

An old man in a white suit sat in the ruins of a bar, now littered with shell casings and bullet-riddled corpses in elegant outfits.

"So, the Princess has arrived. How nice to meet you again, Luna. Though I must say, I preferred your other form."

The old man greeted his guest, a young woman in a bluish-gray striped dress with moderate sapphire blue hair.

"Spare me the pleasantries, Megatron. Twilight and Prime already know of your existence in this world."

"I suppose Shinji told them. It was only a matter of reasoning after Starscream appeared. He probably recognized our faction symbol on Starscream's wing, after he saw my pistol mode."

The old man drew his Walther P-38, at which the woman flinched as if reaching for a weapon.

"Of course, Shinji was a child then. Did you know I did a better job of raising him than his actual father?"

Luna quickly drew her weapon and aimed, prompting Megatron to level his gun at her.

"A Beretta 90-Two. Good choice, Luna, it fits you. To be honest, I was expecting some sort of 'magic' staff or sword, like your pupil. Nice to see you've modernized!"

"I told you to cut the small talk! I know you're planning something nefarious on this planet!"

"Nefarious? Luna, the only people I've killed so far, were venal criminals hiding under a facade of honesty and chivalry. I didn't even kill that many, they performed most of the killings themselves. I'm just trying to atone for my past. Sound familiar?"

Luna was about to retort when she heard the sound of armed men rushing into the room.

"You've got some nerve hitting this place, old man!"

"Katsuo Takahashi. Sorry about your father, he and I had a little disagreement."

"_You_ killed him?!"

"Yes, I wanted to distract the local authorities, and your father disagreed."

"Distract the authorities from what?"

"Several weeks ago, an American bioweapon was stolen in Okinawa. According to my contacts, the culprits were the Red Bamboo revolutionary organization. Now, I should state that the weapon's existence was supposed to be top secret, and the only one with enough knowledge and weapons to steal it was your father, who incidentally, was their secret benefactor."

"You dare accuse my father of selling out his country?!"

"It isn't surprising, really. The threat of a violent Communist revolution would be just the right excuse for a royalist coup d'etat, wouldn't it?"

Megatron turned towards Luna.

"You see, Luna? Even after surviving near-extinction, humanity will still find ways to finish the job!"

"Enough! Shoot them both!"

Takahashi's surviving men cocked their guns and aimed at the couple.

Suddenly, half of them swiveled around and shot the other half!

"What the hell are you doing?!" yelled Katsuo.

The henchmen aimed their guns at Katsuo. The mob boss saw the opal glow in their eyes and looked at the blue-haired woman pointing her Beretta at him.

She pulled the trigger. The men followed suit.

Katsuo Takahashi- well, what was left of him -crumpled to the floor.

"I'm glad we understand each other, Princess."

Again, Luna aimed her gun at Megatron.

"You intend to use that bioweapon for yourself, aren't you?"

"It isn't exactly a bioweapon. It's a living creature."

"What is it?"

"A clone of the Monster of God himself."

Luna's eyes widened in shock.

"You don't mean-"

"What else can strike fear into an Angel?"

Just then, Skywarp burst in, Owen gun blazing.

_**PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAK!**_

The remaining Takahashi gunmen, still under Luna's control, barely reacted and fell unceremoniously.

With her free arm, Luna aimed a Beretta Px4 at Skywarp.

Skywarp paused, still holding the Owen Gun.

"Lord Megatron, Princess Luna, the police are on their way."

Megatron smiled appreciatively at both of them. He walked towards the purple Mitsuoka Orochi near the front door, knowing full well the Princess wouldn't dare shoot.

"If you'll excuse us, Princess, we'll be leaving. You'd best leave too, lest the police ask questions."

The old man entered the sports car. The young hitman followed.

"One last thing, Lorenz is here too. Goodbye."

Luna watched as the Orochi left. She teleported away just before the sound of sirens filled the street.

"_Tonight's breaking news, a violent shootout in a Tokyo-3 bar has left several dozen members of the Takahashi Syndicate dead, including presumptive heir Katsuo Takahashi. The Syndicate has rapidly fragmented into various feuding factions following the assassination of Katsuo's father, Ryota Takahashi, now known to be a notorious arms smuggler. The increasing levels of gang violence have led the T3PD to deploy its Special Investigation Team to the affected areas."_

"_In other news, controversy again erupts in Okinawa after a local militant group, the Red Bamboo, were found dead in their base camp. The group was suspected to be behind a raid on the joint JSDF/USMC base and the disappearance of disgraced scientist Dr. Goro Maki…"_

_To be continued..._


	14. Robots in Disguise

Sea of Tranquility: Robots in Disguise

_Nerv Headquarters, Tokyo-3, Japan._

"Did you hear about that shootout in the outer city?"

"With all the stuff we've seen, you're asking about that?"

Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi conversed during lunch break, as they had done since their days as college classmates.

"Yeah, I suppose with magical girls and giant robots, run-of-the-mill gangsters just aren't as interesting anymore, are they?"

"'Magical girl?' Misato, you know I stopped believing in that when I turned 12."

"And yet, Shinji's teacher turned out to be one. And she's a _princess_!"

"Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Clearly, she and her species have enhanced natural abilities and technological capabilities compared to ours."

"Really, Ritsuko? Why do you always gotta take the fun out of everything?"

"I'm not removing the fun, I'm just trying to be realistic."

"Also, if they're so advanced, why does that other Princess use Berettas? Usually, the magical girls I watched carried some sort of wand or scepter. What kind of magical girl carries firearms?"

"Achoo!" sneezed a nearby bespectacled technician.

"You okay, Akemi?"

"I'm fine."

"Maybe it's just a matter of personal preference. That reminds me, what are our guests doing?"

"Towa -er, Twilight- is still teaching Class 2-A. The Autobots are still camping out under Mount Fuji. Prime and Princess Luna are briefing Commander Ikari, and Shinji is still keeping to himself after that grand revelation about his old teacher."

"The hedgehog's dilemma. Shinji's trying to avoid contact so he won't be betrayed anymore."

"You've got a theory for everything, don't you, Ritsuko?"

"Well, I am Chief Scientist. It helps pay the bills."

_Commander's office, Nerv HQ. _

"You do realize, Your Highness, that the carrying of firearms in this country is only legal for licensed hunters, security guards, police officers, and on-duty military personnel?"

"I am aware of that, Commander Ikari. You taught me to shoot, at least in my universe."

"Really?"

"Yes, it was on General Fuyutsuki's orders."

Gendo recalled that Bumblebee had referred to him as a Lieutenant General earlier. He looked at his old mentor for a second, noticing a slight smirk.

"In that case, I'll grant you the special privilege of being a Section 2 asset, along with Ms. Sawashiro and your Autobot compatriots. But I must warn you to leave incidents such as yesterday's bar fight to us and local law enforcement, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me more about this Megatron."

"As I said on the press briefing, he was an old friend of mine and a former revolutionary. But as time passed, Megatron saw threats everywhere and concluded that only brute force could ensure his idea of 'freedom.' I suppose its a familiar tale on this planet."

Optimus Prime, in his avatar as a bearded, bespectacled old truck driver, stated solemnly.

"It is, unfortunately. But I fail to understand what he plans to accomplish by seizing the Takahashi Syndicate's assets," stated Gendo.

"Megatron had proof that Takahashi was secretly arming the Red Bamboo, a leftist militant group in Okinawa, to instigate a right-wing coup d'etat from allies in the JSDF."

"Just like the March Incident of 1931. A familiar tale, indeed," commented Fuyutsuki.

"Takahashi's arms and intel allowed them to successfully steal an American bioweapon. I believe Megatron plans to use the Red Bamboo and the weapon for his own agenda."

"Sorry, Princess, but the entire Red Bamboo organization was found dead this morning at their base camp," stated Ikari.

"Then he's cutting off loose ends," Prime remarked.

"We don't know for sure. The Red Bamboo made plenty of enemies with eyes and ears everywhere. If we intervene, the UN might raise a stink." Fuyutsuki commented.

"In that case, I'll dispatch a Section 2 detail to accompany you to Okinawa, Princess. Remember to only fire when fired upon. As for you, Prime, the next Angel is fast approaching. I need you to provide support for Rei and Shinji."

"Understood."

"Dismissed."

After the two dignitaries left, Gendo thought to himself.

"_The Americans have some nerve keeping a bioweapon here. Oh well, at least it'll drive Seele crazy."_

"I guess we have more in common with our new friends than we thought."

"So it would seem, Professor," replied Gendo.

"So it would seem."

_Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa Prefecture, the previous night._

Thundercracker, in his guise as a young JASDF pilot, slaughtered his way through the Red Bamboo's feeble defenses. Their members were still learning the art of guerrilla warfare, while he had perfected it for millions of years. Using a combat knife, he stealthily dispatched several sentries before resorting to the Owen Gun that Skywarp stole from Takahashi.

Eventually, Thundercracker reached the tent where Dr. Maki was supposedly held.

When he entered, he saw a sight that would've terrified any human.

Dr. Maki stood in the center of the tent, surrounded by the bodies of his captors. One gunmen's neck had been snapped, the rest shot by his weapon, which was now in the doctor's hands.

The doctor stared intensely at the pilot.

However, Thundercracker smiled.

"Expectations: Starscream or Skywarp. Thundercracker: Superior."

"Good to see you again, Soundwave."

"Where is Lord Megatron?"

"In Tokyo-3. Where's the bioweapon?"

"Sample-G1 has mutated. Goro Maki, assimilated. Hybrid has escaped."

"Where?"

"The ocean."

"We'd better get going. What's your alt mode?"

The doctor revealed a cassette player hidden in his coat pocket.

"Really, Soundwave? Who uses cassettes anymore?!"

_Tokyo-3, Ayanami residence, the next morning._

Ever since his victory against Shamshel, Shinji Ikari isolated himself from his friends and adopted family, preferring to listen to his outdated SDAT player.

The boy did not take the revelation of his childhood mentor's betrayal well, but even then, he couldn't abandon the one gift anyone had given him since his mother's passing.

Shinji had even planned to run away from Misato's apartment to confront his professor face to face but relented after hearing news of rising gang violence and police presence near the area.

Fortunately, Bumblebee was still around to help.

The young Autobot tried to raise his hopes by offering to accompany him to Rei's place to present her new I.D. card.

Shinji was still nervous, though. From what little details he heard, Rei had a better relationship with his father. She was the favored child, while he was the black sheep, or so it seemed.

"_If my father tried to save her once, why did he try to send her out to die? Was it some secret test of character? Did I pass?"_

"Shinji, we're here!"

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Yes, at least according to the directions Misato gave me."

"I think we should knock first."

Bumblebee knocked, only for the door to open ajar.

"Your father really needs to screen his agents."

The pair walked in. They were greeted with the sight of refuse and bloody used bandages scattered around the pitiful excuse of an apartment.

"Ugh! This place is a mess!"

"I stand corrected, he needs new guards and new maids!"

Shinji moved towards a drawer, the only clean place he saw.

"I think I'll just leave the card here until she gets back."

Then, he noticed a pair of recognizable glasses.

"_Are these Father's?"_

Shinji picked up the glasses and wore them.

"_Part of the frame's melted and the lens is cracked. Must be from that accident. Why does she-"_

"Uh, Shinji?"

"What is it, Bu-"

Shinji gaped in shock at the sight.

Bumblebee was surprisingly unfazed.

Standing in front of the boys was Rei, freshly out of the shower and covered in a towel.

"I think she wants you to _not_ touch her stuff."

"I'm... er… sorry!"

Shinji awkwardly took off the glasses and set them back on the drawer.

Somewhat satisfied, Rei looked at Bumblebee instead and walked towards him.

She reached out and caressed his cheek.

Shinji uncomfortably gulped.

"You look human... yet are not human."

"That is correct, Rei."

"Why do you take on the form of humans?"

"It attracts less attention than a machine."

"Do you consider yourself human?"

"Despite some similarities, no, I do not."

"Why?"

"Because this body is a facade. My original form will always remain a machine."

"Don't all humans put up a facade?"

"I suppose so, in a philosophical sort of way."

"Then what do you consider human?"

Bumblebee returned the caress.

Instead of warmth, Rei only felt cold steel.

"Flesh, blood, Warmth, Emotion…"

Bumblebee grabbed the towel over Rei's shoulders and threw it aside.

Shinji shrieked, even as Rei remained stoic.

"You didn't react with embarrassment or anger. The Rei Ayanami I knew would've slapped me."

"Why would she slap a metal machine? Would she not injure herself?"

"Emotions force quick action. Sometimes it's more efficient to act before thinking."

"That is illogical."

"You value logic over emotion. Do you consider yourself a machine?"

Rei did not answer his retort. She walked towards the drawer to get dressed.

Shinji cautiously moved aside, flustered all the while.

"_Damn it, why is this happening? Why am I feeling like this? She's supposed to be my sister, damn it! Oh, this is so sick and wrong."_

Shinji looked at Bumblebee instead. The Autobot was staring at Rei as she dressed.

Shinji was about to admonish him for his perceived pervertedness, only to realize it was a suspicious glare instead of a lustful gaze.

"_I was right, this Rei is more like Soundwave than the Rei I knew. She doesn't show any sign of emotion and refuses contact with anyone other than her direct superiors."_

As Bumblebee thought, he muttered his opinion of Shinji's father rather audibly.

"Gendo, you bastard, what have you done to her?"

To Shinji's horror, Rei bolted at Bumblebee with lightning speed and attempted to strangle him.

Bumblebee, lacking a respiratory system, smiled at Rei's enraged glare.

"I guess you do have emotions, after all."

"_Do not_ speak ill of Commander Ikari in my presence."

"Why shouldn't I? He only treats you nicely because you do his bidding. In truth, he doesn't give a damn about you! Or Shinji!"

"If I die, I can be replaced."

"What if Shinji died, then? Can _he _be replaced?"

At that, Rei gasped and let go.

Shinji rushed to Bumblebee's side.

"Let's get back to Nerv. I'd rather deal with Angels than this scrap."

Shinji said nothing and quietly followed Bumblebee out the door.

Alone, Rei gazed at her hands, realizing that she had just contradicted herself.

"Am I… really human?"

_To be continued..._


	15. Sound of Thunder

Sea of Tranquility: Sound of Thunder

_Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa Prefecture…_

Stepping off the VTOL, Luna greeted the major under the pseudonym Gendo gave her.

"Major Gordon?"

"Agent Uchiyama. Good morning, and welcome to Camp Gonsalves."

"Good morning to you too, Major."

"Tell me, what interest does Nerv have in Okinawa?"

"Let's start with the fact that this place should've been underwater since 15 years ago."

"To tell you the truth, its a mystery to us, too. The locals claim their guardian deity protected the island during Second Impact… and that it was a punishment for our presence here. King Caesar, I believe?"

"Shisa, Major Gordon. King Shisa is the correct pronunciation."

"Ah, sorry, a bit of a mixup there."

"Anyways, we were more concerned with the disappearance of one of our former employees, Dr. Goro Maki?"

"Oh, right, Dr. Maki. We knew that the Red Bamboo was holding him hostage somewhere. Didn't realize it was right under our noses."

"How did you find the base camp?"

"One of our squads overheard gunfire while training in the National Park. We sent a First Recon squad to check it out. That's when they found the bodies."

"There are quite a few people who'll think you're responsible."

"I know it sounds like one of our heartless, bureaucratic cover-ups, but I wish that were the case. According to the evidence, only two men did that, one of whom was Maki himself."

"Two men wiping out an entire base?"

"After that shit in Tokyo-3? Anything's possible."

_New Decepticon Base, Odawara…_

Megatron and Starscream were bantering as usual.

"Let me get this straight. To escape the police, you moved our headquarters to _literally the first place the Angels usually strike_?! I admit I've had my fair share of stupid plans, but this strikes me as profoundly stupid!"

"The warehouse near Mount Hakone was always meant to be a temporary observation post. Even if Shinji told the Princesses and Prime, they would've found nothing except those DVDs and graphic novels you're currently holding. _This_ is our true base."

Megatron stopped at a much larger dock warehouse meant for unloading shipping containers.

He forced open the door, just wide enough for a person to fit through.

As Megatron and Starscream entered, the interior of the warehouse slowly lit up, revealing caches of cars and stockpiles of illegal armaments meant to be smuggled overseas.

"Takahashi's mother lode, along with some loot we took from his other strongholds."

"Wouldn't the authorities notice?"

"Thanks to the Angels and our formerly covert assassinations, they'll be more focused on the downtown Tokyo-3 area. Besides, this will be an excellent vantage point for our new weapon from Okinawa."

"The one you sent Thundercracker to stole?"

"And Soundwave."

"Wait, when did Soundwave get here?!"

"You'll have to ask Thundercracker, seeing as he found him first."

"Yes, Lord Megatron?"

Thundercracker emerged from a secondary entrance followed by Skywarp and Soundwave, still in his Goro Maki disguise.

"Soundwave, report."

"Lord Megatron, Goro Maki has merged with Sample G1. Mutant hybrid shows signs of accelerated growth and has escaped into the Pacific."

"Good work, Soundwave. I could always count on you to be ahead of schedule."

"It is an honor, Lord Megatron."

"Oh, enough with the groveling already!"

"Reviewing footage of your battle against Eva-01 and Prime. Results: Pathetic."

"Why you-!"

Before the two underlings could clobber each other, Thundercracker sounded the alarm.

"Guys, I'd love to keep burning Starscream a new one, but we've got another Angel approaching!"

"There's a reinforced bunker underground in case of typhoons, get to it!"

_Evangelion Launch Bay, Nerv HQ, below Downtown Tokyo-3…_

In the cockpit of Eva-01, Shinji tried to make sense of the morning's events.

Despite the awkward circumstances involved, he could've sworn Rei was attracted to Bumblebee and vice versa.

Instead, he witnessed a full-blown argument between the two that could have escalated violently.

"_Do not speak ill of Commander Ikari in my presence."_

"_Why shouldn't I? He only treats you nicely because you do his bidding. In truth, he doesn't give a damn about you! Or Shinji!"_

"_If I die, I can be replaced."_

"_What if Shinji died, then? Can he be replaced?"_

Shinji found himself siding with Bumblebee over Rei.

In his eyes, his father had already proven himself to be an utter bastard when he left him in the care of his teacher -who was actually an alien robot warlord- not long after his mother's tragic death.

"_Ayanami only sees my father's positive side. Maybe that's why she's so protective of him. _

_I wonder if she feels the same about me. Oh, who am I kidding? As far as she's concerned, I'm the real bastard around here."_

Shinji's thoughts were broken by Misato's voice over the intercom.

"Shinji, are you ready?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Launch the Eva!"

Shinji launched, expecting another lumbering beast like Shamshel and Sachielscream.

As soon as he reached the surface, a beam tore through several buildings and struck his chest!

Shinji howled in pain as he felt his chest being scorched and the LCL in the Entry Plug, boiling him alive!

In a bright, excruciating moment, he saw his opponent.

A giant blue shapeshifting octahedron.

This was Ramiel, the Angel of Thunder.

Shinji blacked out from the pain, just as the city block beneath him gave way…

_Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, en route to Tokyo-3…_

The Autobots had just launched Omega Supreme when Ramiel fired its first shot.

"Unit-01 has suffered severe damage! Shinji's in critical condition!" reported Ratchet.

"That thing's a flying Requiem Blaster! How are we gonna get in close?" yelled Ironhide.

"Omega, any countermeasures?" asked Prime.

"**Analysis: Complete. The Angel's beam weapon exceeds my strongest weapons in range and intensity."**

"**Personal recommendation: Locate more powerful long-range weapon and well-reinforced cover."**

"Where the Pit are we going to get a weapon that strong enough?" asked Wheeljack.

Wheeljack was answered by a familiar retort on the commlink.

"_Aren't you supposed to be an inventor, Wheeljack?"_

"Bumblebee! What's the situation at Nerv?" ordered Prime.

"_Shinji's in intensive care, but he's stable for now. Unit-01's undergoing emergency repairs. Major Katsuragi wants us to pull back for now until they properly prep Rei and Unit-00. She says they have an experimental positron rifle and a heat shield that might stand a chance."_

"Any news on the Princesses?"

"_Twilight's assisting evacuation efforts. Luna's investigating a lead in Okinawa. Wait-Hang on, Twilight just contacted me. She says Spike just arrived and… Oh, Primus."_

"What is it?"

"_You know that bioweapon Megatron told Luna about?"_

_Outskirts of Tokyo-3, a few minutes earlier…_

After sending Class 2-A to safety, Twilight transformed into her 'magical' outfit and hovered over the city looking for any trapped citizens or stragglers.

"Sector 1, clear."

"Sector 2, clear."

"Sector 3, clear."

"Sector 4, all clear."

"Alright, it looks like everyone's in a shelter."

Suddenly she saw a flash of green light!

Upon investigation, she saw a familiar face.

It was a young teenage boy in a purple hoodie with spiky green hair.

"Spike?"

"Twilight, is that you? Celestia sent me here to-"

_**SHEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

_**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Spike watched in dumbfounded horror as Ramiel changed shape, screamed, and leveled several buildings with its beam.

"What in Tartarus was that?!"

"We'll talk later, right now we have to find-"

"Scree!"

Appearing out of Spike's jacket was a tiny, peculiar butterfly.

"Fairy Mothra?"

"Celestia and the Shobijin sent us here. They said they detected another powerful kaiju here, and whatever it was, it's not friendly."

The duo heard explosions and a heavy groan as a smoking Eva-01 and the city block it was on plummeted into the Geofront.

"Is that the monster?" said Spike, pointing to Ramiel.

"No. I'm glad you're here, Spike. I'm going to need you to turn giant again."

"I can't get greedy that quick! Plus I'm in human form right now!"

"I've got a spell for that."

Twilight turned on her earpiece.

"Bumblebee?"

"_Twilight, is that you?"_

"Bumblebee's here, too?"

"_Spike?!"_

"Bumblebee, I've got Spike here. I'm going to turn him into a copy of Godzilla. It's the best I can do against an Angel that powerful!"

"You're going to _what?!_" exclaimed Spike.

"Spike, Mothra, this might tingle a bit."

_To be continued…_

**Bonus Character File:** Starscream

**Rank:** Decepticon Air Commander

**Alt. Modes:** F-15 Eagle, Sachiel the Third Angel (temporary)

**Bio:** Starscream, like his peers, was once a proud scientist and graduate of the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology. However, he always was quite egotistical and sought opportunities to advance his unrealistic ambitions. One opportunity came in the form of Megatron's rebellion, which Starscream eagerly joined, even as he ascended to the privileged status of Senator. Due to his political scheming and maneuvering, Starscream quickly ascended to the rank of Megatron's second-in-command. Unfortunately, Starscream was horrible as a military strategist, and his schemes usually damaged the Decepticon cause instead of advancing them.

Nonetheless, Megatron allowed Starscream to keep his rank if only to entrap the Autobots. In truth, Starscream's blunders were intentional attempts to frame and usurp Megatron for incompetence. Eventually, his treachery became apparent, and Starscream paid with his life, ironically seconds after his coronation.

**Holomatter Avatar: **Kazuma Kiryu, as depicted in _Yakuza_ 0.

(Author's note: This is mostly because they share a voice actor in Takaya Kuroda. Starscream's actual personality is a complete 180 from Kiryu.)


	16. King of Tokyo-3

Sea of Tranquility: King of Tokyo-3

_Nerv HQ, Central Dogma Command Center._

After easily defeating Eva-01, Ramiel hovered directly over the Geofront and began drilling into the ground with its transforming crystalline body.

As Nerv's commanders and scientists debated their next move, a magnificent tower of light suddenly blasted skywards from a portion of Tokyo-3!

"Maya, what was that?!" demanded Dr. Akagi.

"Magi reports unknown energy signature! It's Pattern Orange! Whatever it is, it's not another Angel!"

"Detecting two more signatures! One matches that of the Princess during the battle with the Fourth Angel!" yelled Aoba.

Hyuga patched into the remaining security cameras near the site of the light.

"Projecting camera feed onto the main viewscreen!"

When the smoke cleared, the staff gazed in silent awe at what stood at the source.

A giant 100-meter tall dinosaur with green scales and jagged, purple dorsal fins along its back.

Perched on the dinosaur's shoulder was a similarly giant moth with bands of orange fur and colorful spotted wings.

Hovering in front of them was Princess Twilight in her winged purple plugsuit, this time wielding a scepter topped with her star sigil.

"Spike, is the new body okay?"

"I think I've got the hang of it after my previous transformations. Still not used to the height, though."

"Mothra?"

"Scree!"

"Omega?"

"**On your lead, Your Highness."**

"Alright, let's buy Rei and Shinji some time. Spike, challenge it!"

Spike, in the form of the Monster King, arched back and let out a loud roar.

_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!**_

Detecting their presence, Ramiel transformed and opened fired on Spike's location!

_**SHEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

_**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Fortunately, Mothra released powdery scales from her wings, deflecting Ramiel's beam into the atmosphere!

Spike retaliated by illuminating his dorsal fins in an intimidating display. Then, he breathed in and unleashed his orange atomic breath, traveling like a laser beam towards Ramiel!

Ramiel transformed its body into a shield-like form, absorbing the blast while protecting its core.

It transformed into a rotating cannon form aimed at Spike when Omega, Mothra, and Twilight bombarded it with beam attacks and missile barrages from different directions!

The JSDF and Nerv Ground units joined the fray, assisting their newfound allies with a renewed artillery barrage and inflatable Eva-sized decoys to further frustrate Ramiel!

Unfortunately, it was in that instant that Ramiel came up with an appropriate response.

The Sixth Angel turned into a downwards-facing star and unleashed its most potent beam attack yet on the ground, blowing through all the armor plating protecting the Geofront!

"All 22 layers are compromised!" alerted Hyuga.

"It's making a direct beeline to HQ!" screamed Aoba.

"It must've known we were trying to delay it!" reported Maya.

"What's the status on the positron rifle?!" asked Misato.

"It'll take too long to set up! Forget it!"

Dr. Akagi's outburst sank Misato's hopes.

Just when she thought she had a lucky break, the absolute worst-case scenario became a reality.

But Ramiel had made one fatal error.

When it focused on blasting through Tokyo-3, it failed to notice Spike suddenly turning around.

Remembering a trick he had seen the real Godzilla perform, Spike fired his atomic breath at the ground at an angle!

The resulting recoil propelled him backward towards Ramiel like a spike-studded missile!

Ramiel tried to intercept with another beam blast, but Spike's fins absorbed its energy, intensifying his speed!

Spike struck Ramiel with such force that his fins stabbed through the Angel's exterior, _cracking it!_

At point-blank range, Spike unleashed all of his nuclear energy in one large pulse!

The resulting blast, reminiscent of a nuclear explosion, enveloped the Angel in a fireball that instantly melted several nearby buildings into magma!

But there was no cross-shaped explosion.

When the smoke cleared, it's octahedron shape was still visible.

At the same time, Spike had spent his energy and reverted to his human form, upon which Twilight teleported him onto Mothra's back.

"Damn it! How is that thing still alive?!" yelled a frustrated Misato.

"The Angel split its core into separate pieces to defend against a direct attack! It's slowly regenerating!" reported Maya.

"How much time until it regains full strength?"

"Magi calculates for approximately two hours."

"_**Major, can you hear me?"**_

"Omega?! You're on speaker, we read you!"

"_**I heard your plan to use the positron rifle**_**. **_**Since we don't have time, I'll volunteer my Energon reserves as a power source."**_

"Omega, that'll kill you!"

"_**We have no other options! I was prepared to sacrifice myself against Starscream. Today is no different."**_

"_I agree with Omega, Major."_

"Prime?!"

"_Omega's Energon reserves will generate power far surpassing that of this country's electrical grid. With any luck, we won't need that much to defeat this Angel. Returning to Nerv HQ."_

"Very well. Launch Unit-00 now!" ordered Misato.

Misato turned towards Ritsuko.

"How's Shinji?"

"He just regained consciousness."

"That quick?! He was boiled alive!"

"We're still trying to find out how. Apparently, he dropped by Class 2-A before the first sortie."

Misato recalled how Rei's injuries quickly healed after meeting the new teacher.

"The Princess…"

_Hospital Wing, Nerv HQ…_

Shinji's eyes shot open, gazing at a now-familiar ceiling.

He remembered the first time he was here, immediately after his battle against Starscream, where his Eva took a shot to the head.

Shinji looked to the side of his bed.

There was Bumblebee, sitting on the guest chair like a worried older brother.

"Bumblebee? How long was I out?"

"I'd say around an hour."

"Shouldn't you be helping the others fight the Angel?"

"They already did their best. Now it's your turn."

"So I have to pilot it after all…"

"What do you mean?"

"When I first came here, I didn't want any of this war business. I just wanted to meet my father. I was actually planning to run back to my old teacher's place if things didn't turn out well."

"Shinji…"

"You guys are the only reason I'm still here. You were the first to actually be kind to me."

"I'm sorry for what Gendo put you through, Shinji."

Bumblebee paused, look at the clock, then continued.

"I was about your age when I joined the Autobots. Prime -well, just Optimus at the time- saved my life during a Decepticon attack. I was so eager to repay him that I volunteered on the spot. Thought we had to go through some training first, but things were so bad, Prime just handed me a sword and a gun and told me to follow his lead."

"Didn't your parents worry?"

"I never had parents, at least in the biological sense. Emotionally, the closest things I had to a mother and father were Optimus and his sparkmate, Elita."

"Mate?"

"Prime can tell you about her later," smiled Bumblebee.

"My point is that I understand why you don't want to pilot the Eva, Shinji. It's terrifying to set foot on the battlefield, even if it's your daily duty. The best we can do is put on a mask of bravery and help out our friends."

Bumblebee extended a helping hand.

"You don't have to fight alone, Shinji. If you don't trust Gendo, you can still count on us. In the end, each other's all we got."

Shinji tightly clasped his adopted brother's hand.

"Let's get back in the fight, brother."

"That's the spirit!"

Bumblebee lifted Shinji up and handed over a change of clothes.

"Rei dropped off your new plugsuit. She's already deployed."

"Are you two still fighting?"

"She apologized for her outburst, and I apologized for mine. That's all I'll say. Meet you outside."

Shinji quickly put on his plugsuit and bolted after Bumblebee as fast as he could.

_Lake Ashinoko, Outside Tokyo-3 City Limits, 15 minutes later…_

Unit-00 and Omega Supreme sat in position as a sniper and spotter.

A retractable hose connected Omega's Spark to the battery mounted on the back of the enormous Positron Sniper Rifle.

Unit-00 was fitted with a unique targeting scope around its head.

"_Commence Operation Yashima!"_

Upon Misato's order, Nerv's automated turrets resumed fire on the regenerating Ramiel, who responded with another beam attack which whittled down their numbers.

With Ramiel's core temporarily exposed, Rei took aim and fired!

However, Ramiel immediately fired an intercepting shot which deflected Rei's shot!

Ramiel's beam tore into the mountainside, violently rattling the sniper team!

"_Rei! Omega! Are you okay?!"_

"I'm fine," gritted Rei.

"**As am I," **groaned Omega Supreme.

To the Nerv staff's horror, Ramiel transformed into its star form again.

"Massive energy spike detected!" warned Hyuga.

Rei and Omega braced themselves for the inevitable…

_**SHEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

_**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Rei opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of Shinji in Unit-01 holding the heat shield.

Behind her, Mothra hovered above Omega Supreme and discharged electricity from her wingtips into his chassis, giving him and the rifle an exponential energy boost!

"Now, Ayanami!"

Rei aimed and fired once more!

This time the beam struck home.

Ramiel let a final horrific scream as its core exploded in a jet of flame.

The octahedron returned to its default shape and collapsed, dripping blood-red LCL into Downtown Tokyo-3 and the Geofront.

Mothra shrank back to her fairy size as Twilight and Spike hovered down.

Rei got out of her entry plug first.

For reasons unknown to her, she ran to Unit-01's ejected plug and wrenched open the burning-hot hatch as Gendo had done for her.

Shinji came to and saw Rei.

Despite their previous encounters being forced or awkward, Shinji still believed Bumblebee's words that Rei was his sister.

In other words, she was worth enduring Hell for.

"Ikari?"

"I'm fine, Ayanami. How about you?"

"I'm good."

"Sorry for all the trouble earlier, we should get a chance to talk properly."

"What is there to talk about?"

"I could help you make more friends at school."

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends. You don't have to fight alone, Rei."

"But if you die, you can't be replaced."

Rei said solemnly.

Shinji could've sworn he saw a tear.

"Then we'll fight together until our last breath! But until then, don't think about that, Rei. Think about life, think about happiness. Smile a bit."

Rei gasped, surprised by Shinji's sudden boost of confidence.

"I'll save you, and you save me. In the end, each other's all we got."

Shinji smiled at Rei and offered his hand.

Rei took his hand and helped him out.

For the first time since they met, Shinji saw Rei smile.

_To be continued… _

**Author's note: I know the "proper" onomatopoeia for Godzilla's roar is "SKREEEOONK!" but "****AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!" sounds closer to the actual audio of Godzilla's roar.**


	17. Love is Strange

Sea of Tranquility: Love is Strange

_USS Saratoga, Off the coast of Ito, former Shizuoka Prefecture…_

Shinji's trip, like most things in his life thus far, started out great.

"What did you do that for?!"

"You peeked, didn't you? That's your viewing fee!"

"Oh, I think it's a bit overpriced. Here's some change!"

"Kyaa! How dare you, you outrageous buffoon!"

Shinji was looking forward to meeting his future colleague, Eva-02's pilot.

He did not expect the said pilot to be a hotheaded (yet admittedly pretty) German girl named Asuka Langley Soryu.

The yellow sundress she wore for the occasion was blown upwards by a sudden gust of wind and Toji, who was trying to free his cap from Asuka's foot, got an eyeful.

Needless to say, she slapped Toji, who dropped his pants in retaliation and got slapped some more.

She also slapped Shinji, who wondered what he did in a past life to deserve this.

And then she slapped Kensuke, who took it in stride as part of the anime protagonist experience he longed for.

Misato, who planned the trip, also smiled at the quirky first impression.

Bumblebee, on the other hand, was too busy looking around the carrier to notice the shenanigans.

Then Asuka noticed him.

"Is that the Third Child?"

Asuka asked in an almost dreamy tone.

"No, that's Bumblebee. He's one of the Autobots."

"Those alien robots?! Then who-"

"Hello..."

Shinji meekly replied.

"You're kidding me. It's this dull kid?"

"Dull?!"

Bumblebee ignored the banter and saw what he was looking for.

The VTOL that just landed and caused the wacky dress mishap.

"Princess Luna. It's good to see you again, Your Highness."

"I hope the Angels weren't too much trouble?"

"They're much easier to deal with, now that Rei's recovered and Spike's here. I suppose Unit-02 will make it even easier."

"Tia always did trust in Spike."

"How's Okinawa?"

"I'll brief you and the Major in a bit."

Bumblebee noticed the party walking towards them.

"Speaking of which…"

"Good morning, Luna. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Morning, Major. We wrapped things up in Okinawa ahead of schedule. Is she-?"

"Yes, the Second Child will be staying with us for a while."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am. Asuka Langley Soryu, reporting for duty!"

"Your reputation precedes you, Ms. Soryu. I'm sure you'll be an invaluable member of our team."

"You won't be disappointed, ma'am!"

Luna looked towards Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke.

"I suppose this is the Third Child and his classmates?"

"Yes, Ms. Sawashiro agreed to let them accompany me today in exchange for helping her little brother around town."

"Really? How nice of both of you!"

"No problem!"

"Shinji, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

Shinji's usual meek tone annoyed Asuka but amused Luna.

"_What is wrong with you? You're supposed to address a superior officer with confidence!" _hissed the German redhead.

"Asuka."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Mr. Ikari over here may seem meek and dull, but don't be fooled. Anyone who has defeated three Angels without prior combat experience is worthy of respect. After all, many glorious warriors in history were meek men and women before receiving proper assistance and guidance. He just needs some time to adjust, is all."

"I... see your point, ma'am."

"I'm glad you understand, Asuka. I'll leave you in charge of whipping him into shape."

After a moment of realization, both Shinji and Asuka turned beet red at Luna's double entendre.

"EHHHHHHH?!" yelled the unlikely couple.

"Let's brief the admiral, shall we?"

Misato looked back at the kids.

"Well, you guys have fun! Just do what the sailors say, and you'll be fine."

"Yes, Ma'am!" saluted Kensuke.

"At ease."

"See you lovebirds at lunch!" jested Bumblebee.

"It's not like that!" yelled Shinji and Asuka, still red.

_New Decepticon Base, Odawara, sometime later…_

Starscream gawked at the large metal container Megatron and Skywarp carried into their base.

It was marked with symbols warning of its radioactive contents.

"How in Primus's name did you get a nuclear bomb?"

"Our old friend Takahashi had quite the connections for his coup. There was a competitor of sorts to Nerv, Japan Heavy Chemical Industries. If you read or watched the material, I gave you-"

"Yes, yes, the Jet Alone project."

Starscream took a moment to recall watching all 26 episodes and the theatrical finale of the oddly-familiar _Evangelion_ series in Megatron's collection.

"By Primus, that was the most depressing work of theater I ever saw! Don't even get me started on that confusing train wreck the humans call a finale!"

"Personally, I prefer the literary version. The plot's more streamlined, and the ending's more coherent."

"Heh! Of course, you'd prefer the graphic novel, Mr. '_Towards Peace_!' Besides, the author had the benefit of hindsight on that adaptation!"

Ignoring the barb aimed at his treatise, Megatron decided to muse a little before returning his attention to the nuclear bomb.

"Hindsight. A cruel word, just like 'irony' and 'fate.' In hindsight, Takahashi should've stuck to arms dealing instead of launching a coup in his home country. In hindsight, Shiro Tokita should've thought twice about strapping a nuclear reactor to a close-quarters-combat robot and accepting bribes for spare uranium rods. But, thanks to the powers of interdimensional travel, we can finally weaponize hindsight!"

Starscream changed the subject, trying not to laugh at his superior's cheesy monologue.

"How is Tokita, by the way?"

"Revising his little project, per my instructions. Exposing Takahashi's plot caused the JSDF to clean house and postpone the test date. I told Tokita to make the best of his time and gave him a couple of hints. In return for helping him and keeping his involvement secret, Tokita told me the location of Takahashi's fuel rods. After that, I discovered this contraption lying in storage."

Megatron opened the box, revealing what appeared to be an artillery piece.

Starscream seemed unimpressed.

"A gun-type fission weapon, modified from a recoilless rifle. Not unlike the first nuclear weapon dropped on this very country. Rather crude, if you ask me."

"Indeed, it might be weak compared to its successors, but the shock of detonating yet another nuclear weapon on Japanese soil would silence any opposition to Takahashi's dream of re-militarization."

"What do you intend to do with it? Hold Tokyo-3 for ransom?"

"I applaud you for recommending the simple solution for once Starscream. I actually intend to feed it to our guest, the former Dr. Maki. His fusion with Project G1 may have progressed its evolution, but it still isn't fast enough for my plans. Once he has attained the form of the Monster King, this entire planet is as good as ours!"

"You assume he won't regain sentience and revolt against you? Not to mention those Equestrian princesses have their own doppelgangers or the fact that they can just transport the real one here!"

"I don't recall you ever being this pessimistic, Starscream. I suppose it's my fault for shooting you so many times for failing."

Starscream replied with his usual sarcasm.

"Never saw you being so humble, either."

Megatron was about to reply when Soundwave interrupted.

"Incoming Distress call! Location: Ohio Class Nuclear-Powered Submarine off the coast of Ito. Designation: USS _Seahawk_."

"Play the transmission."

"_Mayday, Mayday! This is Seahawk! We're under attack by some giant creature!"_

"_Seahawk, this is Saratoga! Evangelion Unit-02 is en route to your location, pull back now!"_

"_Is that-?! Oh, God, there's another one!"_

"_Seahawk? Seahawk, respond!"_

"_Saratoga to Rainbow Fleet, Seahawk is down! Repeat, Seahawk is down! Two confirmed bogeys near Seahawk's location, over! All hands, battle stations!"_

The Decepticons sat in silence, contemplating their next move.

"Should I shelve the nuke?" asked Starscream.

"No, detonate the nuke offshore and lure Maki here. If he's anything like his progenitor, he won't resist it."

"You do realize that we're right next door to a U.S. Navy base?"

"You do realize that Takahashi has yachts?" sneered Skywarp.

Indeed, Takahashi's appropriately named yachts, the _Bingo-Maru_, and the _Glory-Maru _sat moored a short distance from their warehouse base.

Thundercracker closed the container and moved towards the entrance.

"Well, we're not cruising anytime soon. Lord Megatron, I'll take the bomb out to sea and fly back."

"Excellent, Thundercracker. That reminds me, Starscream, I have a gift for you."

"What could you possibly-"

"Put on this watch on your left wrist."

"I have no desire for these human trinkets."

"Just do as I say."

Starscream did as told, with an annoyed grunt.

"Now what?"

"Hit the button."

Starscream pressed the button on the watch.

In a flash of light, Starscream found himself clad in teal, grey, and brown armor and armed with a large blue rifle.

"What is this?"

"It's your Pretender shell, Starscream. The first step to becoming a Cybertronian again."

Upon hearing those words, Starscream's voice grew desperate.

"Tell me the next step!"

"You yell out 'Pretender!' at the top of your lungs."

"You had better not be-"

"I'm serious, Starscream. Just remember that we're next door to a base."

"Hmph! Very well. I'll deliver the bomb, Thundercracker can stay here."

"Hey!"

"Thundercracker, sortie in the _Bingo-Maru _for extraction. Your jet modes will draw attention from our neighbors."

Thundercracker let out a resigned sigh.

"As you wish, Lord Megatron."

_To be continued… _


	18. Up From The Depths

Sea of Tranquility: Up From the Depths

"See you lovebirds at lunch!" jested Bumblebee.

"It's not like that!" yelled Shinji and Asuka, still red.

After their tempers cooled, Asuka glared at Shinji.

"So, you've managed to kill three Angels, huh? I guess you're not as boring as I thought."

"Look, Ms. Soryu, I apologize about Toji's outburst earlier. He's been on edge since his sister got hospitalized during the first Angel attack."

"Hmph. Well, that answers several questions. That Toji fellow should keep better control over his emotions, or he won't last a day on the battlefield. And don't call me, 'Ms. Soryu,' you make me sound like an old woman!"

Shinji was already starting to get sick of Asuka's snooty attitude.

So, he thought of a straightforward question.

"How many Angels have you killed?"

"What?"

"Exactly how many Angels have you killed, Asuka? I killed three, with help admittedly, and apparently, that wasn't good enough for your standards. So, tell me, Asuka, what's your kill count?"

Asuka stood flustered.

On the one hand, she wanted to punch Shinji for making a fool of herself.

On another, she was impressed by his sudden boost of confidence.

Or perhaps, he had intentionally concealed this stronger personality under a facade of shyness to deceive her, and possibly Misato as well.

"Fine, you got me, Third Child. But keep in mind that my Eva Unit is supposed to be more advanced than yours."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Asuka gritted her teeth in visible anger.

Shinji calmly smiled as if meeting a new friend.

"_The audacity of that boy! I'll show him!"_

"Cliff! We need a ride!"

_Bridge of the USS Saratoga, 5 minutes later..._

Admiral Stenz stared at the reflections of his guests: two attractive young women who resembled models and a young boy about the same age as his son.

In the past, it would've been hard to believe that the two women were agents of the U.N. agency supervising him and that the boy was an envoy from another planet entirely.

But after the Second Impact and the Angels' arrival, nothing seemed strange anymore.

Stenz glanced back at the crimson-red sea from the _Saratoga_'s bridge.

"You know, Major, there was a time when it would've been unthinkable for American, Japanese, German, Russian, British, French, and Chinese ships to travel in the same fleet."

He turned towards his guests.

"Then the seas ran red with blood, and humanity realized that there were bigger things to worry about than pride and greed."

The Admiral noticed some discomfort in Misato's expression.

"I apologize, Major, I know you were in Antarctica with your dad when all hell broke loose. I wasn't that far away, either. You're weren't the only that had to be fished out."

"I understand your point, Sir. Wait, how did you know I was-"

"It might have slipped out during our one-on-one briefings," announced a familiar voice.

"Agent Kaji, how many times must I remind you to announce yourself before entering the bridge?!"

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

Misato struggled to maintain her composure in the presence of her ex-lover.

"Major Katsuragi, I understand that you and Agent Kaji haven't been…"

Stenz paused to find a kind word to cool down the disgruntled Major.

"...amicable as of late. But do try to keep your quarrels to a minimum. There's enough mayhem on this ship as it is."

"Yes, sir."

"Anyways, back to the point. The U.N. Rainbow Fleet will provide escorted transport of the Eva Unit to Odawara. From there on, Nerv will handle the rest. But until then, all command authority goes to me, is that clear?"

"Understood, Admiral. But if an Angel attacks-"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Stenz turned towards Luna.

"As for you, Agent Uchiyama, I understand that you've been tasked with investigating the Red Bamboo Crisis on Okinawa. Are you at liberty to share your findings?"

"Admiral Stenz, I can only disclose that Dr. Maki managed to escape with a JASDF airman, per an eyewitness account."

"The JASDF? Was it the JSDF coup plotters?"

"We're still investigating that. However, I can inform you that in response to the coup, the Prime Minister has already pushed emergency legislation for restructuring the JSDF."

"Restructuring?"

"A new branch called the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force or JSSDF for short. It merges the Special Forces Group, the Ranger platoons, the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, and the Special Boarding Unit into a single, combined-arms task force for high-risk combat scenarios, and answers directly to the Ministry of Defense."

"Sounds a bit like SOCOM. Won't that rile up the neighbors?"

"The governments of the Republic of Korea and China already voiced their disapproval. The opposition in the National Diet is also trying to block it. Of course, the Prime Minister claims he's actually trying to rein in the JSDF."

Luna sighed.

"In short, it looks like Ryota Takahashi got his wish after all."

"Shame. Can't believe some nutjobs want to start World War IV right after we've survived the apocalypse _and_ World War III! Not to mention the alien invasion."

He glanced at Bumblebee, who raised an eyebrow.

"Not you, son, I meant the Angels. Speaking of which, couldn't you guys come up with a less offensive name? Like _Kaiju_ or something?"

"I see you're a movie buff, Sir," smiled Misato.

"Used to watch those monster movies all the time in my younger days. When I saw you guys on the news, it kinda brought back some memories."

Before Stenz could continue, a terrifying message played over the ship's radio.

"_Mayday, Mayday! This is Seahawk! We're under attack by some giant creature!"_

Stenz immediately switched to his Admiral role, cursing beneath his breath.

"Seahawk, this is Saratoga! Evangelion Unit-02 is en route to your location, pull back now!"

"_Is that-?! Oh, God, there's another one!"_

A loud crash, then static.

"Seahawk? Seahawk, respond!"

Stenz closed his eyes for a bit, then growled into the radio.

"Saratoga to Rainbow Fleet, Seahawk is down! Repeat, Seahawk is down! Two confirmed bogeys near Seahawk's location, over! All hands, battle stations!"

Stenz looked at Luna, Bumblebee, Misato, and Kaji as alarms sounded.

"Secure the kids and get your robot ready. Otherwise, a lot more than 155 people are gonna die today."

Just then, a man in a suit walked in with Toji and Kensuke.

"Sir, I found these two on the flight deck, figured they'd be safer up here with the other guests."

Admiral Stenz quickly introduced the newcomer.

"Major, this is Darius Crothers, a private contractor with Skywatch Logistics. He's here to provide additional security for the Second Child since most of our Marines have been dispatched to Okinawa and Odawara."

"Nice to meet you, Crothers."

"Same to you, Major. If we are facing two Angels, you'd best keep these kids close."

"We won't be a nuisance, sir!" squeaked Kensuke.

"I have literally done nothing wrong this entire trip! If anyone's a nuisance, it's that crazy redhead!" complained Toji.

"Wait! Where's Shinji and Asuka?!"

"No need for alarm, Major. My colleague already got them in Eva-02."

"Really? Excellent job, Crothers. I can't thank you enough."

"A talk with Bumblebee here is fine. We'll leave you guys to work."

"You two better keep it short, those things could reach us at any second."

The pair stepped outside the bridge.

Unknown to Stenz and the others, Bumblebee already knew Crothers.

They had been friends for a very long time.

"Jazz?"

"Perceptive as ever, Bee. Was it the sunglasses or my holomatter avatar?"

"The glasses. You'd always wear your visor even when we weren't fighting. How did you get here?"

"Cliffjumper and I were on a supply run to Moonbase One. We were almost there when some Cons ambushed us. We tried to transwarp away, but a shot must've hit our engine mid-warp. One crash landing later, Cliff and I found ourselves near Sasebo. After trying to process… well, that."

Jazz pointed to the blood-red sea.

Bumblebee knew all too well the initial shock that would cause to a newcomer.

"We tried to fix the shuttle into a makeshift shelter. Then, we met Prowl."

"Prowl's here too?"

"No. Same name, different bot. This Prowl isn't an uptight smartass like our Prowl. He's much nicer, said he met us before somehow. Also, he's a motorcycle."

"Another universe?"

"I don't know, Bee. A lot of insanity happened since your team and Starscream showed up. Nearly sprung a leak when I saw that footage."

"Where's Cliff and Prowl now?"

"Cliff's the one getting Shinji and Asuka into Eva Unit-02. Prowl's keeping watch over what's left of the shuttle, said he was gonna disguise it as an abandoned factory."

Just then, a cruiser within the fleet exploded.

"_Bogey has arrived! Tempest lost!"_

"Cliff! Tell the kids to launch now and get out of there!"

"_I'm in the air already! Just give them some time, they're synchronizing!"_

Another explosion.

"_Titus Andronicus lost! Bogey heading for transport ship!"_

"Tell 'em to hurry up!"

"_Evangelion Unit-02, launching!"_

The large red Eva Unit jumped from its transport moments before its destruction.

It landed on a nearby destroyer, much to the consternation of its crew.

The Red Baroness was ready to do battle!

But as she scanned the horizon, Asuka wondered…

"Where's the second one?"

_To be continued..._


	19. A Human's Work

Sea of Tranquility: A Human's Work

_USS Seahawk, Off Ito, former Shizuoka Prefecture, 10 minutes earlier…_

Captain Clark Nelson tried to calm his nerves.

He had served his nation's navy ever since the Second Impact and the Third World War in the past decade, yet the sight of an endless ocean of blood still unnerved him.

"Captain!"

Nelson recognized the voice of his lookout on the conning tower and checked his periscope.

To the Captain's speechless horror, a long reptilian tail whipped across the water's surface, towering at least 28 meters.

It was impossible!

The Impact should've killed off most sea-life, save for certain bacteria!

"Submerge the ship!"

"Dive! Dive!"

The _Seahawk _began its emergency dive.

Then the creature rammed the sub.

_**WHAAAAAM!**_

Nelson radioed Admiral Stenz, knowing full well that he and his men were doomed.

Then his GPS detected another mass speeding towards the sub.

In one quick movement, the sub was severed in two.

The last thing Nelson saw was the sight of crimson seawater rushing towards him at a horrifying pace.

Outside, the first creature had barely managed to dodge the newcomer's attack.

Noticing that its opponent sped past it, not bothering to fight, the giant reptile feasted on the _Seahawk_'s nuclear reactor.

Swallowing a sizable amount of uranium, the creature morphed.

Its stubby arms and legs grew longer and sturdier.

Its tail grew even longer, nearly doubling its length.

A familiar set of dorsal fins spurted from its back, crossing the length of its body.

Eager to test its new powers, the reptile swam in the direction of the second beast, towards the Rainbow Fleet…

...then a flash of light enveloped it.

_Above water, around the same time…_

Starscream, still decked out in his Pretender armor, drove the _Glory Maru_ and its hazardous cargo as close as he could to the _Seahawk_'s last known location.

The timer, which had been activated at the moment of departure, was nearing zero.

Starscream walked onto the deck and shouted!

"**PREEEETENNNNDERRRRR!"**

To his utter disbelief, Starscream found himself hovering above the yacht in his old mechanical body!

Remembering the bomb, he transformed into a jet and flew to Thundercracker's rendezvous point at maximum speed!

Then the bomb exploded.

_**SPOOOOOOOOMMM!**_

The explosion was similar in size to the infamous Little Boy of 1945, producing an identical fireball and mushroom cloud.

One that did not go unnoticed by the Rainbow Fleet.

"Who the hell fired an N-2 bomb?!" yelled Misato.

"Odawara, watch your fire! You nearly sunk us!"

"_Odawara to Saratoga. That's a negative on the friendly fire. We have an unknown nuclear explosion, not N-2!"_

"Nuclear?! But there's low radiation-"

"_Radiation levels are rapidly decreasing! It's as if something's absorbing all the radioactive material like a sponge!"_

Luna's eyes widened at the description.

"It's Project G1!"

"That bioweapon Maki created?!" asked Misato.

"Bioweapon?" wondered Stenz.

"Project G1 was a microscopic organism that fed on radioactive material. Maki and his sponsors were testing in the ruins of cities nuked during the Third World War. According to his notes, the organism self-replicated until it grew into a reptilian creature the size of an iguana. One day, a suicidal trespasser tried to drown himself in the storage pool and-"

"It mauled him?!" guessed Misato.

"Assimilated him. It grew exponentially after that incident."

Stenz sat down in horrified shock.

"Did Maki and Takahashi plan this? What kind of sick bastards are they?!"

Luna looked down.

"Maki was coerced. Takahashi just stole it. The original benefactor was DARPA."

"DARPA?"

Both Admiral and Major recoiled in surprise at the name of the infamous research agency.

"At first, they honestly wanted to clean up the post-Impact world. Then, DARPA's higher-ups realized they had a weapon to surpass the Evas in their hands."

Whatever feelings of betrayal Stenz felt were dashed by another alert from Odawara.

"_Saratoga! Massive radioactive object heading towards Rainbow Fleet!"_

_Below Sea Level…_

Gaghiel, the Sixth Angel, was close to uniting with its progenitor Adam.

All it had to do was to eliminate the red-clad imposter in its path.

An explosion occurred behind it, surely a missed attack from one of these puny vessels!

Then Gaghiel detected an utterly alien essence.

An essence not borne of the First Ancestral Race, or Adam, or Lilith.

An essence born of Lilin.

A monster created by the sins of humanity.

Gaghiel then prioritized that this creature's death was of the utmost importance, even over the recovery of its progenitor.

It charged at the affronting abomination, jaws wide open.

Gaghiel swallowed its prey whole and clenched its teeth.

It realized too late that it had just exposed its core to the creature's most potent attack.

_Above Sea Level..._

"Asuka, Shinji! Do you see any sign of the Angel?!"

"_Negative, Misato! It ran off towards the explosion!" _

Shinji, positioned uncomfortably close to Asuka, quickly grabbed her attention…

… amongst other things.

"_Hey, watch it perv!"_

_[Audible Slap]_

"_Gah! Asuka! Ominous glow at 12:00!"_

True to Shinji's words, several pillars of violet light blasted into the sky!

To the entire fleet's shock, the tallest pillar turned into a cross!

Asuka quickly jumped onto the _Saratoga_, sending some unsecured aircraft into the bottom of the sea.

She and Shinji gazed back, speechless at the sight of the cross.

"No way… that thing_ killed the Angel?!"_

Once again, the creature's tail broke the ocean's surface and whipped around.

Only now, it towered at the height of _**200**_ meters, dwarfing the Evangelion Unit!

"_Misato! What should we do?!"_

Shinji frantically asked over the radio, hoping for some crazy plan to defeat the creature.

Instead, Misato could only reply,

"Retreat."

"What?!"

"I said 'Retreat,' Asuka. The creature's heading towards deeper water for now. We should hurry to Odawara and regroup with our units there."

"So we're just gonna stand back and let it escape like a bunch of cowards?!"

"Asuka, you saw what it did to the Angel! The same Angel that just took out a third of our fleet! You only have standard B-type equipment and a Prog Knife! I know you want to prove yourself, Asuka, but there's a fine line between that and a senseless sacrifice."

Asuka, now humbled, held back her frustration.

"Fine, Misato. We'll do it your way."

Stenz similarly composed himself and continued ordering his crew.

"All remaining ships are to assist in lifeboat recovery. _Saratoga_ crew, set up the umbilical cable and clear the flight deck for the Eva Unit."

He turned to Misato and Luna once more.

"There's gonna a lot of notices and grieving families over the next few days. I hope you two never have to face the same situation I face today."

"We understand, sir."

Misato looked down solemnly, realizing the full ramifications of the day's events.

Luna looked solemn as well.

Unknown to many of the humans present, Luna had led armies in many battles over thousands of years.

She knew all too well the pain of losing many loyal soldiers, even in victory.

"My condolences to your men, Admiral."

"Thank you, Ms. Uchiyama. I wish you good luck with your investigation. I want to see the bastards who created this thing and let it escape hang."

Kaji walked towards the exit.

"Where are _you_ going?"

"I'll be flying ahead to Odawara. Tell 'em the situation and deliver a package to Commander Ikari."

"What package?"

"Section 2 stuff. Not your jurisdiction, Major."

"I'm with Section 2," replied Luna.

"Then you can come with me."

Kaji flirtatiously 'answered.'

Misato turned beet red at his tease. Luna, on the other hand, just smirked.

"Your attempts to charm me are flattering, Agent Kaji. But I have some friends I need to check on near Odawara, they're a troublesome bunch."

"I'll get the VTOL warmed up."

Kaji continued on his way to the flight deck.

He had initially intended to leave earlier and called his superior.

"_You're late."_

"Sorry. Got held up by some surprise guests."

"_Was the contingency plan successful?"_

"Not entirely. Looks like we have some competition. The Committee will be pissed."

"_Competition drives the economy, Agent Kaji. The Committee won't mind so long as its money is safe. The Old Men will just adapt and innovate, as they did before. Leave them to me."_

_Sometime later, Undisclosed location, near Tokyo-2…_

Gendo Ikari felt somewhat better than usual.

Mostly because Chairman Keel Lorenz's anger was focused on someone else this time.

"Mr. Cassin, care to explain why you allowed your government to commission a profoundly lethal bioweapon, let alone lose control of it?"

Theodore Cassin, the former U.S. Committee representative, now sat with his hands tied and his face bloodied.

His holographic display was still a bright shade of green as usual.

"It was Maki! We had no idea he was working behind our backs the whole time, let alone selling out to Takahashi and the Red Bamboo!"

"That sounds like the result of major incompetence, or perhaps, treason…"

"I would never-!"

_**BLAM!**_

Cassin crumpled out of view, ending the transmission.

"Another unfortunate suicide."

Vladimir Kaganovich, the blue Russian representative, couldn't resist snubbing his rival one last time.

"Ikari, I hope you understand the consequences of turning against our agreement."

"Absolutely, Chairman Lorenz."

"Eliminate this 'Project G1' creature, or at least prevent it from obstructing our plans."

"The Evangelions shall not be beaten. You have my word, Chairman."

"I'll have the new Jet Alone prototype sent to you as a backup 'distraction' in case you require assistance in this goal."

"That won't be-"

"We are growing uneasy with your 'guests,' Ikari. Their so-called 'assistance' might have very well derailed us!" yelled Kaganovich.

Pierre Bretagne, the bespectacled French representative in yellow calmly agreed.

"Indeed, their advanced abilities have challenged the need for Project Evangelion in the first place."

"At least we can keep Jet Alone on a leash!" concurred Nigel Laforey, the red British Representative.

"Very well, I'll accept it. All necessary force is needed to defeat the Angels. I am only doing what is logical."

"We'll continue this discussion later, Ikari. We have to find a replacement Green first."

"Understood, sirs."

The remaining Committee members all signed off at once.

"I see the Americans have decided to start an Angel-killing arms race," quipped Fuyutsuki.

"It shouldn't be possible, but somehow, they succeeded. At least the Old Men will be busy fighting amongst themselves for a while. It'll make our job easier."

"Quite the Machiavellian, aren't you?"

"I'm just adapting to my environment and innovating, Professor. Perhaps you should teach biology again."

"_Today's breaking news, American philanthropist Theodore Cassin was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Before his suicide, Cassin was rumored to be the financier of the bioweapon stolen by the Red Bamboo from Camp Schwab on Okinawa. Their demise, along with Cassin's suicide last night, has flooded the Internet with conspiracy theories…"_

"_In other news, tragedy stuck as a series of underwater volcanic eruptions off the coast of Japan sank a U.S. submarine as well as three other U.N. vessels. The Japan Meteorological Agency warns that post-Second Impact volcanic activity is still ongoing and that seafarers should remain alert."_

_To be continued..._


	20. State of Hostility

Sea of Tranquility: State of Hostility

_New Decepticon Base, Odawara_…

Starscream and Thundercracker sauntered into the warehouse base in their holomatter avatars.

"Lord Megatron, I am proud to announce that our mission was a resounding success."

"I noticed, Thundercracker. By merging Dr. Maki and Project G1 into a new Godzilla, we surpass the combined forces of the Autobots, Nerv, the Angels, and humanity!"

Starscream sneered at Megatron's boasting.

"Aren't you concerned that this will backfire like so many of your 'master plans' thus far?"

"Of course, Starscream. I'm concerned that you'll somehow screw it up! In fact, you already have!"

"What?! How is this my fault?"

"Remind me, Starscream, what form did you take when you arrived on this planet?"

"The Third Angel. You disintegrated my old body, remember?"

"And why did you possess it?"

"It was pummeling the Autobots and the humans! Honestly, what better host for a disembodied spark is there?!"

"And in the act of boosting your ego, you've alerted the Autobots, Angels, _and_ Nerv to our presence!"

"What of your tutelage of young Shinji Ikari? I know his role in the grand scheme of things is important to your plan, but why, why for the love of Primus would you _display your alternate mode in the open for him to see?!_ Now the Autobots know you're here, and they brought the Equestrians with them!"

"They'll have to kill New Godzilla first, and thanks to its self-replication abilities, that's _much_ easier said than done. After all, what better defense against Angels than a god?"

Megatron took a moment to name his creation.

"Hmm. 'New Godzilla,' 'Shin Gojira,' 'Shinji.' How fitting."

"Do you realize how corny you sound?"

"Oh, shut up, Starscream. Soundwave, what's the status on our combatants?!"

"Unit-02 and the remaining fleet have docked at Odawara Naval Base. Unit-00, Omega Supreme, Jet Alone Unit 2, Fairy Mothra, and Fake Godzilla have all been dispatched to assist. Shin Godzilla is still cooling itself in the Pacific."

"What's his projected course?"

"He'll make landfall in Odawara in approximately five minutes."

"Good, we can have a chat," said a familiar regal voice.

Starscream and Thundercracker instinctively turned around with guns drawn.

They paused after noticing Skywarp at Luna's side.

"Skywarp, you fool! She'll tell the Autobots everything!" scolded Starscream.

"Relax, Starscream. I specifically ordered Skywarp to let her in."

Megatron stated calmly.

"Why would you-"

"I'm his go-between to the Autobots," explained Luna.

"Like the Functionists four million years ago, I intend to form a ceasefire with Prime against a mutual enemy. In this particular case, the Seele organization."

"You honestly think a human organization requires a united Cybertronian front?"

"The leader of Seele, Keel Lorenz, is not so different from our old accomplice, Dr. Henri Arkeville, Starscream. However, his superior status as a philanthropist with hundreds of financial ties to the United Nations and Nerv make him a much more formidable opponent. As you foresaw, his ultimate goal is to purge Nerv entirely and commandeer Evangelion Unit-01 as the god of a new, perfected species."

"What about the Angels?" asked Thundercracker.

"They'll probably adapt to our presence, and Godzilla's. There has been at least one documented timeline where they attacked all at once. There's also the issue of Gendo Ikari plotting against them, too."

Luna momentarily closed her eyes and breathed in.

In a lightning-fast reflex, she drew a Beretta at Megatron, much to the shock of the other 'Cons."

"That's your plan? You're going to end a million-year-long war by creating an army of nigh-indestructible monsters for everyone to team up against?!"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. It worked for the humans after Second Impact. Your nation runs on friendship, Luna. Perhaps you should try it sometime."

Suddenly, alarms sounded in the warehouse and the surrounding area!

"Shin Godzilla has resumed movement! Landfall imminent!" announced Soundwave.

"It appears the honorable doctor has arrived. We should greet him."

Luna took a look at Soundwave's holomatter avatar and deduced what happened.

"That suicidal trespasser that got assimilated, that was actually the real Dr. Maki, wasn't it?"

"You catch on quickly, Princess. Maki lost his wife to radiation-induced cancer some years ago. He decided that his creation was the last thing he held dear and jumped in. Luckily, Soundwave has since impersonated the good doctor, leaving DARPA none the wiser."

Luna lowered her Beretta and turned to leave.

"Prime won't be as hesitant or lenient as I am."

"I know, Luna. I've known him for much longer than you have."

Megatron turned to his men.

"Decepticons, transform, and rise up!"

_Odawara Naval Base, around the same time…_

After briefing Ritsuko on the eventful trip from Ito, Misato reviewed all the available troops and assets at Nerv's disposal for the upcoming battle.

"Is that the-?"

"Yes, the improved Jet Alone prototype from Japan Heavy Chemicals."

"Improved?"

"Originally, the prototype was supposed to be nuclear-powered and piloted by A.I., then the Takahashi conspiracy happened, and they moved the test date. Turned out to be a blessing since the A.I. was found to be tampered with. The thing was gonna turn into a walking nuke."

"That sounds like premeditated sabotage Rits, not to mention the serious design flaws."

"Understatement of the century, Misato. They replaced the reactor with an experimental 'N2 engine' and the A.I. with a manual piloting system. It won't do much good against an Angel with an A.T. Field, but that didn't stop Omega Supreme, so we licensed it."

A young girl about Shinji and Asuka's age approached them, wearing a dark green armored plugsuit.

She snapped at attention and saluted.

"Jet Alone pilot Mana Kirishima, reporting for duty!"

Misato paused for a moment, then whispered into Ritsuko's ear.

"_Okay, this is ridiculous! Are all of our pilots goddamn teenagers?!"_

"_She was the ward of the mech's designer and the only one available on short notice. She is literally the best candidate qualified for the job!"_

Misato turned to face the unlikely recruit and returned the salute.

"Sorry about that, Kirishima. It's just that this beast we're facing is stronger than the Angels we've faced thus far. I hope you realize that this is a serious combat situation."

"I'm well aware of the risks, Major. I wouldn't have volunteered otherwise."

"You won't be alone, Kirishima. You've got plenty of teammates for this mission, just follow my orders and try to work with them."

"Understood."

Meanwhile, inside Eva-02, Shinji noticed the absence of their star player.

"_Misato, where's Unit-01?" _

Shinji asked over the comm.

"It's being deployed as we speak."

"_But I'm still here!"_

"We had to deploy it with another pilot. We'll lose valuable time if we try to transfer you."

"_You mean I have to stay close to this perv again?!" _yelled an annoyed Asuka.

"_For the last time, I didn't mean to-"_

"Enough, you two. You'll also have Rei in Unit-00, Omega Supreme, Twilight, and Jet Alone to help out."

"_Isn't that overkill, Misato? By the way, who's the new Eva pilot?"_

"Well, Ritsuko?"

"Just arrived yesterday. His name's-"

Before Ritsuko could clarify, the Magi's Angel Alert blared!

"Pattern Orange! Try to hold it off until reinforcements arrive!"

"Unit-02 & Jet Alone, battle stations!"

Asuka huffed as she restarted Eva-02.

Her prideful ego chafed at the thought of fighting alongside supposedly 'weaker' allies.

She was conveniently surprised when a spaceship flew to her right and transformed into a giant robot of identical size!

On her left, a hunched mecha stood up from its hangar, sporting a scaled-up electrical hammer!

"_So, these are Nerv's new allies? The Autobots?"_

Asuka barely had time to rethink her opinions when the red seawater began to recede.

"A tsunami?!" exclaimed Shinji.

Then the pilots and bots saw an unforgettable sight.

Rising from the ocean was a 120-meter tall dinosaur with sunken, small eyes, a 200-meter long tail that dangled over it, and a grotesque, bumpy, black-and-red hide that resembled burns more than scaly skin.

Asuka felt her ego collapse into nothingness like a neutron star.

Shinji was trying desperately to maintain his sanity, repeating his usual mantra of not running away.

Mana broke into a cold sweat, hoping her colleagues were not feeling the same level of fear as she was.

Misato, Ritsuko, Stenz, Toji, and Kensuke could only stare in slack-jawed horror.

Omega Supreme stared intently at his target, analyzing it for any possible weakness to exploit.

A second later, something else aroused fear in him.

A group of five smaller robots that hovered to his right.

"**Megatron."**

The cosmic tyrant smirked at his old foe and bellowed a speech.

"Denizens of Earth, I am Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons! My old enemies, the Autobots, will say that I am a tyrant of the worst caliber. But today, I shall prove to you all that I have renounced my former hostility. The monster you see before you is the result of a secret organization called Seele. This mad cult created it to destroy Nerv _and_ the Angels and cement their rule over the planet! Now the fools have let it escape, and it will not stop until it has destroyed everything. We must join forces now or face utter annihilation!"

As Megatron spoke, displaced seawater splashed ashore, damaging the base. By the time he finished his speech, the abomination had reared its head and let out a deafening roar that revealed its wide jaw and gaping maw.

_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!**_

"_Your move, Lorenz. Ikari, Prime, I look forward to yours as well."_

Elsewhere, the other Autobots glared at their hated foe.

But deep in their sparks, they realized Megatron was right about one thing.

They had to stand together, at least for now.

_To be continued..._


	21. Who Will Know?

Sea of Tranquility: Who Will Know?

_Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3, half an hour earlier…_

"I see. So Project G1 is heading straight for us."

"You're acting rather nonchalant about this, Commander."

"This creature may have killed an Angel, Agent Kaji, but we've killed three."

"I still think we should be cautious, sir."

"We have three Evas at our command, not to mention Tokita's project and our esteemed guests supporting us. We can kill it ten times over if needed."

"Ikari?"

"You may enter, Professor."

"We might have a problem."

"What is it?"

"The Odawara Fleet just landed, but based on the current trajectory and speed of the creature, there won't be enough time to deploy Unit-01."

"No matter, Unit-02 is already present, along with the upgraded Jet Alone and the Autobot Omega Supreme."

"There's another problem. That Megatron fellow just revealed himself and outed Seele!"

"What?! How could he possibly know about Seele?"

"He claims they're a mad cult that created Project G1 to destroy Nerv and the Angels and take over the world."

"Well that's half true," snarked Kaji.

"_The alternate universe, of course!" _remembered Gendo.

"Well, no matter, the Old Men have already sent us a gift in advance."

"A gift?"

A pale teenage boy revealed himself from the shadows.

"I apologize for not speaking up earlier, Sub-Commander."

"Is he-"

"I'm Kaworu Nagisa. A pleasure to meet you."

"The Fifth Child shall be deployed as a reserve pilot effective immediately."

Fuyutsuki stared at the boy as if recognizing him from somewhere.

"Very well. Nagisa, follow me. You're deploying in Unit-01 since its usual pilot is unavailable."

"Yes, sir."

_Odawara Naval Base, the present..._

Shin Godzilla looked from side-to-side, gauging the strength of its opponents.

Omega, detecting the movement, refocused his weapons and fired a volley of missiles at the grotesque dinosaur!

The missiles struck Shin Godzilla in the face, but barely scratched it.

Omega followed the volley with a blast from his plasma cannon hand!

The blast struck Godzilla's left shoulder, severing its misshapen arm!

"Nice shot!" commended Kensuke.

Unnervingly, the beast did not roar in pain as steaming radioactive blood poured from his wound.

To the humans' horror, Godzilla's wound regenerated itself into a new arm in a matter of seconds!

Worse still, steam erupted from where the old arm had fallen!

"Rits?"

"Yes, Misato?"

"Please tell me that arm isn't doing what I think it's doing."

From the hot seawater, a smaller Godzilla rose, roaring just like its father!

The smaller Godzilla fired its atomic breath at Omega, who was knocked backward despite his shielding.

Inside Jet Alone, Mana Kirishima was trying to comprehend the deadly foe before her.

"_Damn it! If shooting the thing causes it to multiply, then what the hell are we gonna do?!" _

"_Hey! New girl!"_

Mana heard Asuka yell through the Jet Alone's comms.

"Yes?"

"_Don't just stand there! Whack these things with your hammer!"_

"Yes, ma'am!"

Mana gritted her teeth and charged at Shin Godzilla.

The monster knocked her over with a rapid tail swipe, sending her flying towards Unit-02!

Shinji, acting fast, seized the controls from Asuka and dodged, causing Jet Alone to bodyslam Shin Godzilla Jr. instead!

"Nice job, Third. The new girl might be a rookie, but she's got some nerve attacking the stronger opponent head-on."

"Did you just compliment me?"

"Focus, you idiot!"

Shinji turned back to see Shin Godzilla opening his jaws wide, and a purple glow traveling up his dorsal fins.

"Oh shi-"

Shinji barely had time to finish cursing before a jet of flame shot out towards him and Asuka!

The pilots threw up an A.T. Field to block the flames, but the heat was enough to boil the LCL surrounding them, causing Shinji and Asuka to scream in pain over the intercom!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

_Odawara Warehouse District, not far from the battlefield…_

After his grand speech, Megatron decided to stand aside and watch his creation do battle against the best this world has to offer.

He was very impressed with the results.

But his observation was interrupted by the sound of guns loading.

Megatron turned and faced his old sparring partner.

As Luna predicted, Optimus Prime did not hesitate to level his path blaster at Megatron.

The rest of the Autobots were no exception.

"What in the name of Primus are you playing at, Megatron?"

"I'm giving you what you wanted all those years ago, Prime, a chance for peace!"

Prime gestured at the rampaging Shin Godzilla.

"_That's_ your idea of peace? Follow you or face imminent destruction? Tell me how this is different from your other schemes!"

"As I told you, the true enemy is Seele! Keel Lorenz, Prime! Remember him?"

"The creator of Biollante and Hedorah? He's here, too?!"

"And Gendo Ikari is in league with him. That is why I chose to adopt Shinji Ikari for a time."

"Of all the billions of beings you murdered, why spare him?"

"Our mutual friend is the key to unraveling these human Functionists. Besides, he reminds me of myself when I started the Decepticon movement. A naive youngster scared and confused about the cruel world he lives in!"

"So you want to corrupt him like so many of your loyal followers? The ones you sent to murder, pillage, and die for your ambition by the billions?!"

Megatron raised his fusion cannon. Prime's barb had indeed struck a nerve.

"I'll leave Luna to reason with you, Prime. You can fight Shin Godzilla alone if you wish, but remember that many will die in the process."

_Inside Jet Alone..._

Shinji and Asuka's screaming jolted a battered Mana awake.

Just in time to see Shin Godzilla Jr. glaring down at her with glowing dorsal fins.

In a knee-jerk reaction, Mana activated the Jet Alone's electric cuffs and punched Junior across the face, causing him to shoot his father by accident!

Recovering from his first knockout, Omega Supreme picked up a peculiar munitions case and tossed it at the singed Unit-02's feet.

"**Shinji! Asuka! Incoming!"**

"An Eva's weapons case?"

"Thanks, Omega!"

Unit-02 stepped on the case, causing it to eject a Positron cannon, a smaller version of the weapon used to kill Ramiel.

Asuka wasted no time in blasting the elder Shin Godzilla with it.

The shot struck the exact same spot where Junior had wounded him.

Shin Godzilla howled in pain, causing his son to rush to his aid.

At that moment, a large contingent of JASDF fighters and gunships finally arrived to reinforce the battered units, raining missiles on both Godzillas.

Behind them was a giant moth with two riders perched on it.

"Ready, Spike?"

"On your go!"

"Go!"

Spike jumped off Fairy Mothra, and in a flash of light, became a giant green-and-purple dinosaur, not unlike the invaders!

"_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"**_

Spike roared a challenge towards the smaller Godzilla.

Accepting the challenge, Junior charged at Spike, who returned the favor.

The two reptiles grappled with each other to the awe of the Nerv, UN, and JSDF staff present.

Shin Godzilla watched silently at this surprising turn of events.

Inside its mind, a portion of the former Dr. Goro Maki remained.

And it was forming a battle plan…

_To be Continued…_

**_Author's Note: Shin Godzilla Jr. is based on GMK Godzilla. _****_If you haven't figured it out yet, Spike-as-Godzilla is based on Godzilla 2000._**


	22. Extermination Strategy

Sea of Tranquility: Extermination Strategy

Goro Maki stopped thinking.

Then Shin Godzilla acted.

The dinosaur hunched over as its dorsal fins glowed once more.

A B-2 bomber tried to seize the moment and dropped a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator aimed at his back, which would inevitably result in a painful explosion of blood and flame!

But Godzilla had prepared a nasty surprise.

Dozens of violet beams shot out of its back, slicing the unfortunate bomber and its intended payload into fiery pieces!

Shin Godzilla immediately returned to a standing position and fired his atomic breath!

The jet of flame from before condensed into a laser-like violet beam, which cut through rows of VTOL gunships in one swath!

Using its tail, Shin Godzilla fired a second beam at Mothra!

Once again, she used her reflective scale powder to deflect the beam at Junior, striking a fatal blow!

Spike stared down at the bleeding Junior, then finished him off with his orange atomic breath!

Shin Godzilla stared angrily at the identical figure who vanquished his 'son.'

However, his body temperature had increased to dangerous levels, and he retreated and swam back into the sea!

Misato breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did we win?"

Kensuke Aida, usually excited about such carnage, looked like a shell-shocked private who had just witnessed his first bombardment.

Toji was no different.

Unlike Shamshel, their encounter with Shin Godzilla was a lopsided battle in favor of the beast.

If not for its overheating, they and their friends would have been wholly massacred.

"For now, Kensuke. For now."

She turned towards Ritsuko.

"Where's it headed now, Rits?"

"Old Tokyo. It's heading for an area with less resistance."

"Tell HQ to send Units 00 and 01 to intercept. As for us, we're going back to Tokyo-3. We need to come up with a new plan, repair our units, and fortify our headquarters with everything we've got."

She looked at the wrecked VTOLs strewn about the ruined base.

"We'll make him pay for all this, Rits. I swear it!"

"Major?"

"What is it, Crothers?"

"I have some information about our new foe that might be valuable."

Crothers revealed an Autobot holographic projector similar to the one Bumblebee had.

Misato gasped in realization.

"Dr. Yui Ikari's notes. I believe Bumblebee showed you one of them."

_Off the coast of Old Tokyo Bay, below sea level..._

As Shin Godzilla traveled through the water to his new destination, six small humanoid creatures detached from the tip of its long tail.

Four of the creatures proliferated in size until they were 120 meters long, feeding on Shin's excessive radiation.

The two remaining creatures grew into identical clones of the fallen Shin Godzilla Jr.

The seven harbingers of doom continued towards their hapless targets…

_En route to Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3…_

"Yui Ikari's Log, Entry #110354"

"Subject: Codename 'Leviathan'"

"_Titanus Gojira_, or Godzilla for short, is a 100-meter-tall and 200-meter-long amphibious Kaiju resembling a classic cinematic dinosaur. Godzilla's cells have special properties that convert air and water into radioactive isotopes to provide it with energy. This unique biology grants Godzilla abilities ranging from regenerative tissue to a 500,000℃ atomic ray formed from its breath. These abilities, combined with a second brain located near the spine, make Godzilla an intelligent, indomitable ally and a terrifying opponent. However, Godzilla is prone to overheating after extensive combat and will recover by launching more powerful attacks and escaping into seawater to cool off. As such, he is weak against freezing weapons, blood coagulants, and Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria. It should be noted that these weapons have only managed to temporarily stun him."

In one of the few remaining VTOLs, Misato and Ritsuko took notes as Yui dictated Godzilla's strengths and weaknesses.

Glancing at the hologram, Misato noticed to her surprise that the doctor wore an eye-catching plugsuit underneath her lab coat.

"_Is everyone in the 2020s wearing plugsuits? And here I thought our fashion trends were weird."_

As Misato thought to herself, Shinji and Asuka sat to the side, watching intently.

Shinji was severely beaten in his fight against Shin Godzilla, but seeing his mother and hearing her voice eased the pain, even if it was in a recording from another lifetime.

"Is she your mother?" asked Asuka.

"Yes, but not in this universe. The mother I remembered died eleven years ago."

"'This universe?' Oh, right, the Autobots said they were from a parallel universe."

"And in that universe, we were full-fledged officers, and our parents were brilliant scientists and generals who fought giant monsters and alien invaders to a standstill."

"Really? Sounds leagues better than this world."

"Your mother died when you were young too, didn't she?"

Asuka looked at Shinji with shock.

"How did you-"

"I recognized your tone when I mentioned 'our parents.' Honestly, my father and I reacted the same way when we first saw these recordings. It was the first time I saw him with any other emotion than apathy. Did you know that when she died, he kicked me out of the house and made me stay with my teacher instead?"

"Your father, the Commander?"

"Yes, the one and only Commander Gendo Ikari, master of the tactic of throwing fresh meat at your opponent until it chokes and dies."

Asuka snickered a bit at Shinji's sarcasm.

"Never pegged you for the witty type. You know, at first, I thought you only became an Eva pilot because of your family connections."

Shinji snickered a bit, too.

As if he were the kind to use 'family connections,' let alone for becoming an Eva pilot!

"But now I see we're the same."

"Your father wasn't exactly an Angel either, was he?"

"Ran away with a mistress."

"Ouch. I'm pretty sure my father has a mistress, too. I found out I had a sister I didn't know existed until my first day of piloting."

"What's she like?"

"You'll meet her in a bit. She's the First Child."

Asuka was about to ask more about that exciting tidbit when the Angel Alarms sounded again!

"Ritsuko, what's happening?" asked Misato.

"Magi just detected seven Pattern Orange signatures in Old Tokyo Bay!"

"_Seven?!_ Get Rei and the New Kid out of there now!"

"We can't! Three bogeys have already engaged them! The rest are barreling towards Tokyo-3!"

"Fire an N-2 missile or two at Old Tokyo and tell Units 00 and 01 to pull back! Prepare the anti-Angel batteries!"

Misato sighed.

"_It'll buy us a couple of hours. Until then, we can only pray this thing doesn't figure out our timetable."_

_Undisclosed safehouse, Tokyo-2, sometime earlier…_

The Committee backing Nerv was unsettled.

"The Autobot leader was right, that Megatron is a serious threat!"

"At least he withheld our names, that might give us time to cover up everything."

"That doesn't change the fact that he irrevocably altered the scenario!"

"We already crossed that line when Cassin sent the Fifth Child to Nerv ahead of schedule!"

"Gentlemen, remain calm."

Keel Lorenz settled the members of Seele, now identified by numbered holographic monoliths instead of their full bodies.

"Chairman Lorenz, what do you propose?"

"Send Evangelion Units 03-6 to Japan. Intensify production of the Eva Series."

"But the Angels haven't-"

"This Shin Godzilla has evolved beyond our comprehension, let alone Ikari's. I never trusted the fellow, but now we face a common threat. Humanity must survive if it is to evolve."

"And if Ikari turns against us, like Cassin?"

Lorenz smirked.

"After this mess? Believe me, he won't."

_To be continued…_

**Bonus Character Profile**: Shin Godzilla

**Height: **120 meters

**Length: **335 meters

**Powers:**

Can fire atomic rays from mouth, tail, and dorsal fins.

Advanced healing factor.

Retains the intelligence of Dr. Goro Maki.

Vegetative reproduction: can generate offspring from severed tissue.

**Bio:** While monitoring Yellowstone National Park for volcanic activity, geologists discovered a peculiar micro-organism feeding on the heat in the waters of the Grand Prismatic Spring. After the USGS isolated the sample, DARPA took interest when it was discovered that the organism reproduced by engorging itself on radioactive isotopes, hoping to use it to clean up areas affected by nuclear warfare in the post-Impact wars. Dr. Goro Maki, a scientist displaced by the Second Impact, oversaw the project after its successful test in Old Tokyo. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the project when Maki's wife died of cancer and Maki, blaming himself, jumped into the living creature's storage tank. Instead of letting Maki drown, the animal horrifically assimilated him as the Decepticon Soundwave secretly took Maki's place. Filled with rage and pain, Goro Maki now seeks bloody revenge on those who exploited him, and with the power of the King of Monsters, nothing can stop him!

**Author's note: Due to the upcoming college semester and more personal issues, updates will be less frequent until further notice. I apologize for any inconvenience.**


	23. Metastasis

Sea of Tranquility Chapter 23: Metastasis

_Kyoto University, 1999…_

"Are you sure you want to transfer to metaphysical biology? Don't you find it more philosophical than scientific?"

"Yes, Professor. I've planned this for quite some time now."

"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for Aristotle, but it seems to me that you'd be better off in bioengineering."

"I'll be fine, Professor. I'm sure you'll find more promising candidates soon."

"Well, if you're that determined, I won't stop you.

The teacher and student bowed and shook hands.

"Goodbye, Yui. Give Kozo my regards."

"I will, Dr. Maki. I'll see you around."

_Old Tokyo Bay, 2015…_

Evangelion Units 00 and 01 sat in a sniping position outside Tokyo, waiting for the enemies to arrive.

The once vibrant capital city was now an oversized tide pool after the double calamities of Second Impact and World War III.

Inside Unit-00, Rei kept watching the ebbing waves for any signs of receding.

She didn't know what to make of Kaworu, the newly-arrived reserve pilot.

Despite his polite demeanor, she felt an unnatural aura around him.

"_Is this what Ikari thinks of me?" _

Rei thought to herself.

"Ayanami, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Nagisa?"

"Do you love Shinji Ikari?"

Rei, taken aback, actually felt herself blush.

"This isn't time for-"

"Ikari has suffered much hardship in this world. A tragic being such as him deserves love."

"I see… But why are you interested in Ikari?"

"This may seem strange, but I feel as if I met him before in another life. It seems I am destined to meet him again."

Before Rei could answer, the seawater began to recede, and the emergency sirens roared to life!

"_Target has arrived! Prepare Positron Cannons!"_ ordered Fuyutsuki over the comms.

Both Evas readied their cannons and aimed at the rising seawater!

Suddenly, the sea began to bulge in six other locations!

"Additional bogeys sighted!" alerted Aoba.

"Magi indicates Pattern Orange for all seven targets!" reported Maya.

"_Maki, my old friend, what have you done?"_ wondered a shocked Fuyutsuki.

"Massive energy spike from six targets!" warned Hyuga.

The Nerv staff watched in horror as six atomic beams struck at the two Evas.

The Eva Units deployed AT fields, which blocked the beams at the cost of their positron cannons.

Rei and Kaworu drew their backup weapons, an Eva-sized assault rifle for Unit-01 and pistol for Unit-00.

They managed to fire a few shots before being ambushed from the flank by two of the targets!

The new iguana-like foes were Zillas, smaller iterations of Godzilla which lacked physical strength but made up for it with increased agility.

The pair disarmed the Evas with a quick blast of atomic energy and grappled with them in melee combat!

A Shin Godzilla Jr. moved to assist them while the rest of the invaders continued towards Tokyo-3!

By now, the Nerv staff realized that the odds were hopelessly stacked against them.

"Tell the pilots to break off and regroup with the Odawara detachment in Tokyo-3! Get the JSDF on the line and launch some N2 missiles at Old Tokyo!" ordered Fuyutsuki.

"Major Katsuragi has already called it in, sir!" Hyuga responded.

"_All units, retreat! Repeat, all units, retreat!"_ yelled an automated klaxon.

Nonetheless, the melee continued as the Zillas headbutted and bit the Evas, who Fought back with Progressive Knives, punches, and kicks.

In Unit-00, Rei saw Shin Godzilla Jr. fire another shot in her direction!

Rei acted quickly and used the Zilla as a meat shield, causing it to cry in pain!

She drove her Prog Knife into the Zilla's heart, finishing it!

Rei turned to see Kaworu breaking the other Zilla's jaw before doing the same to its neck!

Kaworu grabbed the lifeless Zilla's tail and lobbed the corpse at Shin Jr., who blasted it without remorse!

Shin Jr. continued walking menacingly towards its opponents when a couple of missiles suddenly struck him from the side!

Rei saw what appeared to be a giant robot dragon flying towards Shin Jr., guns blazing!

"Halt, foul creatures! You now face the might of the Great and Powerful Sky Lynx!"

She saw the giant Autobot insignias on its wings, and recognized it as an ally!

"Fall back, friends! Tell Prime that his trusted Lieutenant Commander has arrived to help!"

"Roger."

Rei ran back towards Tokyo-3.

Kaworu followed her after a second of watching Sky Lynx spit fire into Shin Jr.'s eyes, then slapping him with his metallic tail.

"_So these are the Lilin's new allies. So bizarre, yet so endearing." _

The Fifth Child thought to himself.

As Sky Lynx laughed at his foe's lack of agility, his passenger Prowl warned him of the approaching threat.

"N2 missile inbound in 30 seconds! Pull out now!"

Sky Lynx launched an EMP Charge at Shin Jr., blinding it!

Then, he abruptly turned and flew off in the other direction.

Shin Jr. recovered, thinking his opponent had turned and ran.

He belted out a roar of victory…

_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUU-!**_

...only to be cut short by a massive fireball.

_**SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

The shock of the blast rattled Sky Lynx and Prowl mid-flight!

"Such intensity! I must commend these humans for creating such an awesome weapon!"

"Don't push yourself, Sky Lynx! One repair job was difficult enough!"

"Alright, fine, just don't disguise me as a gaudy abandoned factory again! A valuable asset such as myself, should be a five-star hotel at the very least!"

Prowl sighed and returned his attention to the newly-formed crater.

Talking to the egotistical quasi-Dinobot had pushed the ninja to his mental limits.

Both Autobots did a double-take when they saw a bloodied Shin Jr. still standing with an angry expression on its face.

Yet what it did next terrified them even more.

Shin Jr. roared one last time, then its body decomposed into countless tiny Zillas scattering in all directions.

The bulk of the Swarm continued running towards Tokyo-3 when the second N-2 missile hit.

Even then, hundreds of young Zillas survived and followed their elders' footsteps towards Tokyo-3.

"Sky Lynx, how are you on power and weapons?"

"I still have four missiles and 60% fuel for the flamethrower. Overall power is at 73% capacity."

"We'll do a strafing run and try to take out as many of the young as we can."

"Cruel but efficient. Weren't you a naturalist?"

"In a past life, Sky Lynx. But this Shin Godzilla isn't going to stop until it overwhelms and eliminates all life on this planet. That I can't allow."

"In that case, let the culling begin!"

Sky Lynx bellowed as he dove towards the swarm of young Zillas, firing the last of his missiles.

_Tokyo-3 City Limits, sometime later…_

Still exhausted by their previous engagements, the Odawara group returned to the outskirts of Tokyo-3 as planned.

Spike, still in his Fake Godzilla form, caused quite a stir amongst the locals as he walked back.

Misato and the Autobots, however, had more pressing matters.

"What's the status of Old Tokyo?!"

"Units 00 and 01 successfully retreated before the N-2 detonations thanks to the sudden appearance of an Autobot named 'Sky Lynx,' who provided suppressive fire and is currently engaging a swarm of juvenile Godzillas," replied Hyuga.

"How did Sky Lynx get here?"

An incredulous Bumblebee asked Jazz and Cliffjumper.

"You know that supply run I told you about? That was a cover-up. Elita's forces detected a large unidentified fleet approaching Cybertron. Possibly Quintesson," replied Jazz.

"The Quints?! What do those five-faced freaks want now?!" yelled Ironhide.

"Divide and conquer, the oldest and most effective stratagem. With the majority of Autobots and Decepticons busy fighting across the galaxy, the Quintessons presumed Cybertron an easy target and made their move. That is why I dispatched Sky Lynx in the form of a supply run to maintain secrecy," explained Prime.

Cliffjumper chimed in.

"Didn't stop some of Deathsaurus' goons from attacking our shuttle. Thank Primus Sky Lynx was in the cargo hold. Otherwise, we'd be burnt space flotsam by now."

He paused.

"Come to think of it, I remember he set off the silent alarm once the Cons started firing."

Prime, Ratchet, Ironhide, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee came to a collective realization.

"Our group responded to a distress signal, but by the time we got there, there was only debris. We detected another energy signature, possibly a superweapon, and transwarped to it. I guess that's how both our units ended up here."

Bumblebee explained.

"But what exactly caused us to arrive here?" Cliffjumper asked.

"We don't know. Ratchet and I are still investigating that," explained Wheeljack.

"Something's coming!" alerted Spike.

Right on cue, some automated turrets exploded in the distance.

"Omega, status report?!" asked Prime.

"**Battle Damage: Light."**

"Give me one second."

Prime looked over at Eva Unit-02, which was finishing repairs.

Once again, Prime scanned it.

"Hey! What are you doing with my Eva?!" Asuka angrily demanded.

Shinji gave her a not-to-reassuring message.

"Wait for it…"

To her astonishment, Prime increased to giant size again, this time regaining his former red color scheme!

"Princess, Spike, can both of you still fight?"

"Still good, Prime!"

"Very well. Autobots, transform, and roll out!"

Misato smiled at her endearing allies.

"Evangelions, battle stations! Today we begin Operation Metastasis!"

_To be continued..._


	24. Meeting of the Kings

Sea of Tranquility: Meeting of the Kings

_Odawara, sometime after Shin Godzilla's landfall..._

Near the smoldering remains of the naval base, an old man conversed with a peculiar younger man in a colorful suit.

"So, did you like the films?" asked the man in the suit.

The old man stared into the night sky, illuminated every few seconds by distant explosions.

He shifted several boxes of DVDs and graphic novels to the younger man.

"The first two were fine. The third strayed too far for my tastes."

"Heh. Everybody says that. Most people prefer the original series and movies, if only for the unintentional black comedy."

"I, for one, prefer the manga."

"Well, Fluttershy agrees with you on that one. It is the only unambiguously happy ending in the franchise."

"Give her my thanks and regards, will you?"

"You do realize that she thinks I'm reforming you?"

"Yes, and she will be 80% correct. Tell me, have you had visions of other universes where you _didn't_ reform?"

"Once or twice."

The younger man answered uncomfortably.

"I saw a world where I was good and Prime was evil. It was like staring into a mirror after millions of years and realizing what a monster I've become."

"Better late than never."

Two bright, thunderous explosions interrupted their conversation.

The younger man picked up the boxes and opened a portal.

"I should get going. Good luck, Megs."

"Same to you. Farewell, Discord."

The younger man disappeared into the portal.

"_You two done yet?"_

An impatient voice crackled over the comm.

"Yes, Starscream. Is he in Tokyo-3 yet?"

"_The 'good' doctor just tore apart the outer defenses. He brought some friends too._"

"And Prime?"

"_He scanned Unit-02 and grew giant again. Just like that, I'm getting flashbacks."_

"Be glad you're not on the receiving end this time. Keep monitoring them for now."

"_Affirmative."_

The old man stared into the distance once more, before turning back towards the warehouse district.

_Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3, around the same time..._

"Hostiles breaching outer turrets!"

"Self-destruct the outer walls!"

"They already blew it up!"

As the technicians relayed warnings and updates to each other, Misato focused her thoughts.

"_Damn it! What the hell happened?! This was supposed to be an easy day! Bring Asuka home, get her to tolerate Shinji, and maybe kill one Angel at most! But this?! We might as well be fighting God himself!"_

She breathed in and exhaled.

"_Calm down, Misato. You're not fighting God, it's just a mad scientist fused to an alien symbiote taller than the tallest dinosaur. Perfectly normal compared to everything else these past few weeks."_

"Prime! They've broken through! You and the others need to hold them off until the other Eva Units arrive!"

"Copy. Autobots, draw the Zillas towards the traps! Spike, Mothra, and Jet Alone, take care of Shin Junior! Unit-02, Omega, with me. We'll face Shin Godzilla head-on!"

"Yes, sir!"

_Tokyo-3 Outer Limits_…

The Zillas silently walked on, ignoring the blaring sirens and intermittent gunfire and explosions.

Suddenly, Jazz and Cliffjumper opened fire on them from hidden vantage points!

The Zillas reared back to unleash their atomic breath!

Suddenly, The buildings behind them self-destructed and collapsed on top of them!

From two other vantage points, Ironhide and Bumblebee open fired with Thermo Rocket Launchers, finishing off the pinned beasts!

"Keep an optic on the rubble! If they regenerate, call it in!" reminded Ironhide.

"Ratchet! What's the status of the coagulant?!" asked Bumblebee.

"Wheeljack's heading to your location with a batch! I'm heading to Spike's location with another! Once we take care of the smaller opponents, we'll concentrate all forces on Shin Godzilla!"

"How long till the Tokyo Group arrives?" asked Cliffjumper.

"They're on their way, but they're low on power and ammunition. We'll have to hold the line for another ten to fifteen minutes!" Misato replied.

"I don't think we'll last that long!" warned Jazz.

Just as Jazz voiced his concern, the rubble began to shake!

Suddenly, a giant worm-like creature burst from where the Zillas had been buried!

"You just had to say it…" snarked Cliffjumper.

"It's evolving! Keep shooting!" screamed Ironhide.

As the Autobots unloaded their firepower into the new monster, a dragon-like creature burst from the other pile of rubble and flew towards Shin Junior!

"Twilight! Mana! Airborne hostile heading straight for your location!" warned Bumblebee.

"Roger! Breaking off to intercept! Come on, Mothra!" responded Twilight.

_Shin Junior's location, around the same time…_

Spike and Shin Jr. grappled with each other, then fired their atomic breaths!

The orange and blue beams collided in an explosion that knocked the behemoths back and leveled several buildings caught in the crossfire!

Spike and Jet Alone rushed their opponent!

Jet Alone, hastily repaired and wielding a more practical ax, hacked at Shin Jr. with unrelenting fury!

The earlier carnage had taken a heavy toll on Mana's psyche.

The novice pilot had many friends and acquaintances in the JSDF, many of whom had lost someone in that rampage.

But now she was free to avenge all that.

"This is for all the dead at Odawara, you bastard!"

She dug the blade of the ax into Shin Jr.'s side, then activated the JA's electric gauntlets, shocking the beast!

Spike charged forward and stabbed his clawed hand into Shin Jr.'s chest!

With a mighty roar, he tore out the vile beast's beating heart!

"_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"**_

Spike blasted the wound with his atomic breath while crushing the heart in his hand!

The smoking carcass collapsed onto the city streets.

Just in time, Ratchet arrived and hosed the remains with his Anti-Godzilla blood coagulant.

"You two better head to Prime's location! Shin Godzilla's shrugging off our attacks like cyber-ticks!"

"What about Twilight and Mothra?" asked Spike.

"They can handle their own for now. Besides, they're flying towards the same location."

_Shin Godzilla's location, Downtown Tokyo-3…_

A few minutes earlier, Optimus began the battle by firing a few shots from his supersized path blaster.

To the shock of every combatant, Shin Godzilla blocked the shots with appeared to be a force field!

"An A.T. Field?!" exclaimed Misato back at HQ.

"That should be impossible, unless…" wondered Ritsuko.

"_This is Wheeljack at Point A! HQ, do you copy?!"_

Wheeljack yelled over the comm.

"Copy, Wheeljack. We read you loud and clear!" replied Misato.

"_The Zillas evolved into stronger forms after we sprung the traps! We managed to freeze one of them but the other is flying towards Shin Godzilla!"_

"Flying?!" asked an incredulous Misato.

"_This is Ratchet from Point B. Shin Jr. is down! Twilight and Mothra are currently pursuing the winged hostile! Spike and Jet Alone are en route to Point C!"_

"It's adapting to our every move," Fuyutsuki solemnly realized.

Despite this, Eva-02 defiantly charged Shin Godzilla, gun blazing.

"Try adapting this, _Arschloch_!"

In one quick headbutt, Shinji and Asuka were sent back into a building!

"**Direct assault: Unwise. Insulting opponent: Very Unwise."**

Omega Supreme dryly remarked.

"What do you suggest, Omega?" asked Prime.

"**Recommendation: Sustained bombardment."**

"I concur."

With that, both giant Autobots unleashed suppressing fire on Shin Godzilla.

Tokyo-3's defense batteries joined in the effort!

As Shin Godzilla prepared to fire his atomic breath, unmanned Shinkansen rigged with bombs rammed into his feet!

The colossal beast toppled over in shock!

He fired his breath into the air, missing his intended targets!

"_Almost got him…_" Misato silently hoped.

Shin Godzilla's beam traveled for miles into the atmosphere before colliding with what appeared to be a meteorite!

The resulting fireball proceeded to condense…

...into the shape of a three-headed dragon.

_To be Continued… _


	25. Golden Demise

Sea of Tranquility: Golden Demise

_Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3_…

"_Almost got him…_"

"Unknown object entering upper atmosphere!"

Hyuga's sudden scream interrupted Misato's train of thought!

"**WHAT?!**"

"It appeared out of nowhere! JAXA couldn't-!"

Aoba's explanation was cut off by Shin Godzilla's atomic breath striking the meteor!

"He shot it… from that distance…_by accident_..."

A dumbfounded Ritsuko mumbled in awe at the range of Shin Goji's destructive power.

Suddenly an alert blared from Maya's panel!

"Magi is detecting signs of-"

She stared at the warning again in shock and disbelief!

"-Pattern Orange, from the meteor!"

The Nerv staff watched in silent horror as the fiery remains of the meteorite proceeded to condense…

...into the shape of a three-headed dragon.

Shinji, Asuka, and Mana gazed in silent awe at the new monster.

"Prime, what should we-"

Shinji stopped mid-sentence when he saw what could only be described as sheer terror on his Autobot allies' faces.

"**Identified: King Ghidorah. Recommendation: Prioritize termination.**"

Upon hearing Omega's identification, the pilots realized just what kind of opponent this dragon was.

"Major Katsuragi, this is Prime. Redirect all firepower at King Ghidorah!"

"But we still haven't defeated Shin Godzilla!"

"Ghidorah destroys entire planets for amusement! Believe me when I say that in comparison, Shin Godzilla is the _lesser_ evil."

Prime's grave tone was all it took to convince Misato to follow his lead.

"All units! Prepare to intercept new hostile!"

Gendo, silently observing the situation, became more concerned with what countermeasures his rivals in Seele had prepared.

"The Old Men won't take this lying down," Fuyutsuki observed.

"Neither will the Angels. Do you honestly think they'll sit back and let some outsiders interfere with the Scenario?" Gendo whispered.

"Kaji." The Commander announced.

"Yes, Ikari?"

"What's the status on the overseas Eva Units?"

"In light of our current situation, Units 03-06 are being shipped as we speak. The U.N. suits are a bit nervous about concentrating that much firepower in one nation, but I'm pretty sure the arrival of another Pattern Orange threat will change their minds."

"Indeed, it will." Gendo retorted.

Kaji looked at the display with a worried expression.

"_A self-replicating nuclear monstrosity, an army of Angels, and now a planet-destroying three-headed dragon. If this isn't the Apocalypse, I don't know what is."_

The agent thought to himself.

King Ghidorah descended from the heavens, letting out a shrill, high pitched roar that eerily sounded like demented cackling.

The Golden Beast bolted straight for Shin Godzilla's location, eager to test the strength of this strangely familiar foe!

The Nerv Anti-Air batteries unleashed a deluge of missiles and flak at Ghidorah, only to be taken out by bolts of lightning!

Unfazed by the show of force, King Ghidorah landed with a loud boom, leveling several small buildings in the process!

The dragon gauged its opponents with its three pairs of eyes, which began to glow yellow…

"Fall back! **FALL BACK!**"

Prime bellowed at the top of his mechanical lungs.

Ghidorah unleashed electric bolts at his surroundings, causing buildings to explode and their debris to levitate!

With a sudden movement of his wings, the hail of debris smashed against the assembled fighters!

Prime and Omega tried their best to evade!

Despite throwing up an A.T. Field, Shinji and Asuka were violently jolted inside Unit-02's Entry Plug!

"Damn it! What kind of dragon distorts gravity?! Why can't he just breathe fire like a normal dragon?!" cried an increasingly exasperated Asuka.

"You're asking me?!" replied Shinji.

While his opponents were blindsided, King Ghidorah unleashed a new volley of lightning from his wingtips!

"Scheiße!" cursed Asuka.

The extra blasts knocked the Eva Unit on its back!

_**SPOOOOOOOOM!**_

"Omega, suppressing fire!"

"Affirmative."

Prime tried to run over to the fallen Eva-02, but was nearly struck by another gravity beam!

Prime responded by emptying his path blaster into King Ghidorah, who deflected all of the Autobots' shots with a barrier of light!

"Shinji! Asuka! Can any of you hear me?!"

_Inside the Eva… _

After the jolt, Shinji and Asuka slowly regained consciousness.

"Hell of a first day…" groaned Asuka.

"Hey! What did I tell you about hands?!"

Looking downwards, she noticed that Shinji had instinctively clung to her torso, leaving the pair in an awkward position when the Eva fell over.

"I- I was trying to shield you…" Shinji timidly stuttered.

"_Shinji! Asuka! Can any of you hear me?!"_

"We hear you, Prime!"

"_Asuka! I need you to activate Protocol 777!"_

"But I've never-"

"_We have no other options! Do it now!"_

"Understood," Asuka replied, gritting her teeth.

"What's Protocol-" started Shinji before Asuka shushed him.

"Hang on, Third, this might sting a little."

Asuka stood up, and in a loud voice, proclaimed:

"Invert controls! Backdoor code: The Beast!"

Both pilots winced as a sudden twinge of pain seized their spines!

Outside, Eva Unit-02's eyes lit up bright green as it suddenly leaped forward on all fours like an apex predator!

Cylinders limiting its real strength popped out of the Eva's spinal column!

Unit-02's mouth split open, revealing lines of jagged teeth!

Back inside the entry plug, Shinji and Asuka felt their pain giving way to rage.

Pure, unadulterated rage…

"You okay, Third?"

"Yeah."

Shinji paused a moment before grinning maniacally.

"Let's slay this dragon!"

Asuka responded with a maniacal grin of her own.

"That's the spirit!"

The Eva Unit charged at Ghidorah, evading its beams and gnashing its teeth in a frightening display!

Omega joined the counterattack, firing the last of his ammunition!

With Ghidorah distracted, Prime turned towards the downed Shin Godzilla.

"Primus forgive me for what I am about to do…"

_Inside Nerv HQ..._

The Nerv staff continued to watch the dramatic turn of events.

Misato looked worried at seeing the all-too-familiar sight of a berserk Evangelion Unit.

"_It's just like Shinji's first battle…"_

Then she realized a contradiction.

"_But if that was an anomaly, how come Asuka's unit has it built-in for emergencies? Someone's not telling the truth. I just hope Rits isn't in on it."_

Amid the battle, she saw Prime standing in front of the fallen Shin Godzilla and preparing his Energon Axe…

…which caused her to remember another event from that fateful night.

"Wait! Prime, stop! What the hell are you doing?!"

She watched helplessly as Prime turned his Energon Axe into a blade and plunged it into Shin Godzilla, injecting it with much-needed energy!

"No, no, no! All Reinforcements to Point C!"

_Odawara, around the same time..._

Megatron and the Decepticons had watched the battle proceed on live television.

It was expected, given the opposition, that Shin Godzilla's spawn would be destroyed, and the King of Monsters would be forced to retreat.

However, no one had expected King Ghidorah to make his grand appearance and send the Nerv alliance into panic mode.

"Didn't our Godzilla kill King Ghidorah? How can he be alive?!" asked Starscream.

"It might be this universe's King Ghidorah. Then again, that golden psychopath could've regenerated from a single cell, like this Godzilla," hypothesized Thundercracker.

Megatron suddenly realized something dire.

"Soundwave, you said that when DARPA found the sample at Yellowstone, it was a single cell, correct?"

"Affirmative, Lord Megatron."

The Decepticon leader smirked.

"Is it possible that it might have been damaged tissue from another Godzilla?"

_To be continued..._


	26. All Out Attack!

Sea of Tranquility: All-Out Attack!

_Downtown Tokyo-3…_

"Primus forgive me for what I am about to do…"

Recalling his revival of Omega Supreme, Prime plunged his Energon Sword into Shin Godzilla's hide!

The injured monster roared as energy surged into its body, exponentially boosting its power!

"_Wait! Prime, stop! What the hell are you doing?!"_

A panicked and somewhat-betrayed Misato cried over the comms.

"Shin Godzilla is the only opponent that stands a chance against Ghidorah!"

"_No, no, no! All Reinforcements to Point C!"_

"I'm sorry, Misato. This is the only way we can surely win."

_Inside Shin Godzilla's subconscious…_

Goro Maki opened his eyes.

To his shock, he found himself in his old office at Kyoto University.

"Professor…"

He looked forward and saw his two best students.

None of them had apparently aged a day since 1999.

"Yui. Kyoko. What are you two doing here?"

"You gave our children and us a nice thrashing back there," Kyoko responded.

"That was… I'm sorry, but that wasn't me at the helm."

"We know," answered Yui.

The professor suddenly snapped.

"Oh, like hell, you knew! You shouldn't have done what I did. Sold your souls to those monsters!"

"It was the only possible outcome."

"What about your husbands? Your children? Do you honestly think they deserved this pain?"

Maki began to cry.

"I was on an expedition to Sierra Leone before I returned to the University. The civil war started, and we had to evacuate. A reporter friend of mine stayed and sent me pictures of everything that happened afterward. The thought of children having to endure and fight in _that_…"

Maki shuddered.

"Do you honestly want your children to face the same fate?"

"No."

Kyoko answered.

"But a mother must be ready to sacrifice everything for her child, including her soul and her sanity."

"You're absolutely right about Seele, Professor."

Yui interjected.

"They are monsters, and for that reason, we sacrificed ourselves to give our children a fighting chance and a better future. With our new friends, they won't have to suffer."

Maki sniffled and smiled.

"You always did make the class brighter, Yui."

_Back outside…_

Shin Godzilla's eyes lit up bright blue!

The lumbering beast stood back up, glaring at its new foe!

Suddenly, its body started to mutate!

Its arms grew more muscular!

Its torso and legs became slimmer!

Two additional rows of dorsal plates grew on its back!

Its tail shrunk to half its former size to maintain balance!

In short, it transformed into an upscaled Shin Jr.!

Goro Maki, now with restored sanity, assumed full control of his new body and let out a mighty roar!

"_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"**_

Now in a more agile form, he bolted at the new foe with terrifying speed!

Ghidorah, flying away to evade the berserk Eva-02 and Omega Supreme, intercepted Godzilla and collided violently!

The two titans grappled with each other for a time, Ghidorah trying to bite Godzilla with his three jaws and drain his life energy!

However, Godzilla counterattacked with his dorsal beams, injuring the Golden Dragon and forcing him to back off!

It was at this point that all the assembled combatants converged on the spot.

Spike, Twilight, and Mothra let loose more beam attacks!

The rest of the Autobots fired the last of their heavy weaponry!

Evangelion Units 01 and 00 rejoined the fray with a withering hail of positron fire!

King Ghidorah, realizing that he had been outmaneuvered and surrounded, tried to break out and retreat!

Unfortunately for the Golden Demise, Jet Alone and Unit-02 leaped and clung onto his legs, slowing him down!

Godzilla, tapping into Maki's intelligence, unleashed his violet atomic breath, which struck Ghidorah with pinpoint accuracy!

Ghidorah collapsed to the ground with a gaping chest wound!

As he stared up at his hated foe, Ghidorah fired one last, defiant burst of lightning!

To his shock, Godzilla absorbed the energy from his lightning and shot it back at him in the form of an enhanced atomic breath!

Thus, the Golden Demise met his fiery demise.

Shinji, Asuka, and Mana looked up at their former foe.

Godzilla stood still, as if in contemplation.

The Autobots and the Nerv/JSDF forces remained wary, still readying their weapons.

It did, after all, attacked Odawara and Tokyo-3, to begin with.

A long, tense silence ensued.

Eventually, Twilight had an idea gained from her prior experiences.

With a wave of her hand, her eyes and palm glowed brightly.

"Who are you?"

She asked in a clear voice.

To everyone's shock, the monster replied in a low-pitched, almost-human voice!

"Goro Maki."

"Why did you attack us?"

"You attacked me first."

"Were you trying to warn us?"

"Yes, others will come…"

"The Angels?"

"No, like me. Like Ghidorah."

"Sorry for the misunderstanding."

"Ikari."

Gendo and Shinji paused in fear.

"Soryu, Akagi…"

Asuka and Ritsuko gasped in fear as well.

"Fuyutsuki, Katsuragi."

The Sub-Commander and Major were no exception, either.

"By the end of this year, all of you will suffer…"

Twilight stopped the translation spell, aware of Maki's past and the possibility of a vendetta.

His interrogation done, the Monster King turned away and began heading back towards the ocean.

"Major! Should we pursue?!"

"_Negative, Kirishima. We spent the last of our coolant on the flying hostile."_

"Is that it?! We're gonna let him get away again after everything he's done?!"

Asuka angrily grumbled.

"He knew our names…"

Shinji said in a hushed whisper.

The shock of the Monster's revelation had shaken off the effects of Protocol 777.

"_Everyone return to base. Prime…"_

Optimus, now shrunken to his average size, sighed.

His emergency maneuver had undoubtedly withered Misato's trust.

"_Next time, a word of warning would suffice."_

"Understood, Major."

_Commander's office, Nerv HQ, several hours later…_

Fuyutsuki had never seen Gendo this upset.

Usually, his former pupil made enormous efforts to maintain composure.

Now, he was loading bullets into that CZ-75 pistol he hardly used.

"Damn that Cassin! If he hadn't dragged Maki into that treacherous little science project of his, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Gendo shouted, a rare feat for him.

"Cassin's already dead, and I'm pretty sure 9mm bullets won't do anything to Maki in his current state."

Fuyutsuki dryly responded.

"Besides, I recall you saying you _wanted_ Maki to screw over Seele."

"Yes, by killing the Angels! Not by inviting another army of freaks to attack us! On top of that, now everyone knows our connection to the Old Men!"

"Not quite. A quick search of the Kyoto University archives and databases will reveal Maki's tenure as a faculty member. If anything, it's proof that he still has some memories of his former self."

"All the more reason for Seele to hunt him down."

Fuyutsuki scoffed.

"In that case, they'll have to increase our budget."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Gendo.

"Is Agent Uchiyama available?"

"Luna? I believe she's briefing the newly-arrived Autobots on today's events."

"Excellent. I have a new mission for them."

"And what would that be?"

"They are to take down the interloper Megatron and his syndicate. It should be easy for them, seeing as they were old enemies."

"And who do we call for backup if more Angels and those Pattern Orange beasts arrive?"

"We've just received four additional Evangelion units and another reserve pilot on top of Unit-02 and the Second and Fifth Children. It would be a serious crime if we wasted the UN's time and resources."

Suddenly, Kaji burst into the room!

"Bad news, sirs."

"What is it?" ordered Gendo.

"We just lost Units 03 and 04."

_To be continued…_


	27. Arrival of Chaos

Sea of Tranquility: Arrival of Chaos

_Previously, but in Maki's subconscious…_

"_By the end of this year, all of you will suffer…_

...unless you do exactly as I say."

Before he could finish his sentence, Maki realized that his psychic connection to Twilight had been severed.

Betrayed, the professor-turned-monster curtly turned and began walking back towards the sea without a second thought.

"Damn it! I try to warn them of Seele's machinations, and they rebuff me! That bastard Gendo must be covering his tracks!"

Maki mentally grumbled to himself.

"Oh, don't worry, Doc. It wasn't Gendo's fault this time, it's Twilight's. But trust me, she rarely slips up. I've noticed."

Maki paused, startled by the new voice in his head.

"Where are you?! Show yourself!"

A mysterious young man with silver hair and a colorful 1920s pinstripe suit stepped forward into his imagined office.

"Keep walking, Doc. Pretend you didn't hear me and I'll explain. They've still got eyes on you."

In the physical realm, Maki did as he was told, lest another battle ensued and exhaust him further.

"I'm an old acquaintance of Princess Twilight, the kind girl who was able to speak with you. You can call me, Discord."

"Gee, what a friendly and non-threatening name," Maki answered sarcastically.

"I see you haven't lost your wit, Doc. Good thing, because I'm-"

"From an alternate universe. Yeah, I know. Yui and Kyoko told me."

Discord's smile faded, and he grumbled.

"Damn it, Prime! Always ruining the moment!"

"Is he that red robot that gave me a power boost earlier?"

"Yes, and apparently, he can never take a joke or appreciate one!"

"I suppose leading an army does that to you. Give him my thanks."

"Sure, after you apologize for brutalizing his men."

"I was getting to that before I got cut off!"

Discord cleared his throat and pulled out a notepad from his suit pocket.

"Now, where was I? Right. Alternate universe. Anyways, I might have stolen two Eva Units, a Nerv branch, and deposited them on top of Old Tokyo."

"You _what?!_"

"Long story short, I was trying to save them from Angels, and I think I might have fed one of them to another Eldritch horror."

Maki stared at his bizarre guest with apparent confusion.

"Uhh...You..._**WHAT?!**_"

"I can see you're having an aneurysm. I probably should've started with the fact that I could bend space, time, and reality to my will. In fact, you guys won't see the results until a few hours from now..."

_Back at Nerv HQ…_

"I thought you said we lost Units 03 and 04."

An increasingly exasperated Gendo stated to the assembled Nerv staff.

"Well, Commander, we lost both visual and audio contact with our American branch and presumed it was an Angel attack. Thankfully, both units were salvageable and are currently undergoing repairs…"

Gendo motioned to hush Hyuga and pointed to the embarrassing visual feed on the MAGI's main screen.

"I just want to know why Nerv's _entire Nevada branch HQ_ is currently submerged in what used to be Old Tokyo."

His usually concealed anger was beginning to boil over.

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't know how to explain it. The entire structure just disappeared and reappeared there out of nowhere!"

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that, Lieutenant Hyuga?"

"Don't be too hard on the kid, Ikari. He's absolutely right!"

The room froze at the sound of the mysterious new voice.

Gendo, Misato, and a few security personnel drew their guns.

"Who's there!" ordered Gendo.

A woman in a lab coat emerged from what had been empty space seconds earlier.

"Easy, Gen-chan. Don't you remember me?"

Gendo froze at the familiar voice of his late wife.

"Yui? How did-"

Quickly realizing the circumstances, Gendo leveled his pistol at the apparition of his wife!

"You have some nerve using my wife against me!"

Suddenly, "Yui Ikari" disappeared in a puff of smoke!

At the same time, one of the Section 2 bodyguards trained his pistol on Gendo instead!

"Oh look, you made her disappear again. Better luck next time, Gendo!"

The fake bodyguard's taunt cut deeply, leaving Gendo seething with rage.

"Drop it!"

Misato commanded as she and the other guards refocused on the intruder.

"Listen to what I have to say! Or, you can just go ahead and fill us with lead, I don't care-!"

Discord was cut off by the sound of another pistol cocked behind his head.

It was Luna's Beretta!

"I knew you'd try something theatrical, Discord, but hostage-taking is unbecoming of you!"

"Well, excuse me, Princess! If you had seen the way he treats his son, you'd know he deserves this! Besides, I did him a favor, getting those Eva Units here on time!"

"You were the one who teleported the Nevada base?!" interjected Ritsuko.

"It wasn't easy! An Angel tried to attack the base in the form of a thundercloud. So, I decided that the best course of action was to seal the Angel in a pocket dimension with another lightning demon god. After that, I couldn't just go back into hiding, so I flung the entire base here."

As with Maki, Discord's bizarre actions left more questions than answers.

"He's a reality warper. This is one of the tamer things he's done," explained Luna.

"Oh, that makes sense," replied some indifferent technicians.

"By the way, you should really invest in life preservers."

"Get to the point!"

"Okay, fine! Megatron knows you guys are onto him. He wants you to know that everything is gonna get much worse unless you work with him."

"After that stunt with Godzilla? Things already have gotten worse."

"I meant the part where all the Angels and all the Kaiju attack _at once_."

"That's impossible! Those beings may be physically powerful, but the chances of them coordinating such an attack are-!" exclaimed Ritsuko.

"Yes, yes. 'Extremely unlikely.' You do realize that you're just tempting fate at this point, Dr. Akagi?"

"We'll take our chances."

Luna responded sternly.

"Well, you seem awfully confident. Oh, and one last thing."

Discord held up three fingers and counted down as if expecting something…

"_Fly Me to the Moon/Let me play among the stars…"_

A dissonant ringtone from Discord's…

...watch?

"_Let me see what spring is like/On Jupiter and Mars…"_

Discord hit a button on his watch, with his pistol still trained on Gendo.

"Hey! Gendo! What's happening?"

The gathered Nerv staff watched in awe as a familiar, but more cheerful voice answered.

"_Oh, just stamping out Shockwave loyalists and Garoga remnants with the family. You know, the usual. Where's Luna? I have a message for her about the A.U."_

"That's funny, I'm in a little stalemate with her and your AU self right now."

"_Is he abusive to his Shinji and Rei like you said?"_

"Oh, definitely."

"_Hey! Other me! Go-"_

Audible explosions conveniently drowned out his speech.

"_-yourself!"_

Some disgruntled Nerv employees tried their hardest not to giggle.

"_Luna, if you can hear me, Celestia wants you to know that she and Vector Prime just detected another powerful Kaiju on your Earth! Whatever it is, it's completely unrecognizable! That's why we sent Discord to help! If you haven't seen it yet, be prepared!"_

Luna sighed and responded.

"Understood, Lt. General."

"_Good to hear. Yui! Get on the autocannon! Fuyutsuki! Where's my air support?!"_

Discord ended the call and sneered smugly at the less impressive Gendo Ikari, who was starting to look somewhat emasculated.

"You see, Gendo, that's how you balance fatherhood and duty. You make sure the whole family enjoys the fun!"

At this point, Discord took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of fierce yellow eyes.

With his mission now apparent, Discord lowered his weapon, which vanished back up his sleeve.

Luna lowered her weapon as well, and the Nerv staff followed suit.

Exasperated, Discord teleported over to the nearest chair, switching back to his pinstripe suit.

He wasted no time in acting like a spoiled VIP.

"Can someone get me a drink? All this interdimensional travel is exhausting! 'Best of all possible worlds,' my ass!"

_Across the multiverse, around the same time…_

A Garoga scientist answered an alarm.

Upon checking his readings, the insectoid invader rushed to notify his superior.

"Sir! It appears that Ghidorah's containment vessel has been exposed to some techno-organic contaminant!"

If anything, Baron Garoga seemed vaguely intrigued instead of angry.

"Will it affect his ability to fight?"

"No, sir, it actually seems to be strengthening him!"

"Where did this contaminant come from?"

"It seems to have been teleported from another realm!"

The Baron laughed as he knew only one being who could perform such a feat!

"Oh, Discord, you fool."

The Baron stood up and bellowed.

"Deploy Mecha-King Ghidorah to Monster Island immediately! Let's see how well this cyborg symbiote performs against those Terran vermin and their pets!"

"Yes, your Highness!"

"Once that's done, find out which universal stream that contaminant came from so we can track down that reality-warping annoyance!"

"As you wish, sire!"

The Baron sat back down on his throne and thought to himself.

"_The destruction of those pathetic humans and their Equestrian and Cybertronian allies is at hand. Escaping to another universe won't help much. What was that little taunt of yours, Discord? Ah, now I remember…"_

He smirked as the particular insult came to mind.

"_Multiverse theory's a bitch, isn't it?"_

_To be continued..._


	28. In Memory of the Walther P-38

Sea of Tranquility: In Memory of the Walther P-38

_Sadamoto Arcade, Downtown Tokyo-3..._

A week had passed in peace since that fateful trip to the _Saratoga_.

Due to the intensity of Maki/Godzilla's rampage and Ghidorah's surprise arrival, all the pilots had to receive immediate medical attention.

Consequently, they missed out on Discord's eccentric introduction and had to be introduced after the fact.

Shinji found a renewed sense of hope upon finding out that his father was a kind and caring father, at least in another timeline.

Asuka still had to cope with many things, namely Misato's messy apartment and diet of instant meals, numerous admirers at school, and above all, the embarrassment of having to share a room with Shinji.

But Bumblebee's regular visits and tales of their alternate selves never failed to brighten her day.

"_So, who am I in your universe?"_

"_Well, you're the pilot of Kiryu Unit-02, which is a mechanical copy of Godzilla, much like the Evas. Dr. Shikinami's a Kaiju researcher, just like Yui, and Pieter is Gendo's personal helicopter pilot."_

"_Who are they?"_

"_Oh, right. In my universe, your parents are named Kyoko Zeppelin Shikinami and Pieter Langley. Bit of a mouthful."_

"_..."_

"_I'm sorry. I forgot that you and Shinji are in similar circumstances in this world. If it's too painful to talk about…"_

"_Just tell me about the ones you know."_

"_Very well, I think I'll let them do the talking."_

Even a week later, Asuka still remembered the first time she heard her mother's voice…

...ever since that horrible morning.

Lost in her memories, Asuka accidentally bumped into someone playing _Galaga_, resulting in an instant defeat.

"Whoops! Sorry about that!"

To her regret, the defeated player turned around, revealing himself to be a very angry _bosozoku_ biker!

"' Sorry?!' Sorry's not gonna cut it, you little-!"

To his misfortune, the biker made the mistake of intruding Asuka's personal space, which resulted in a sudden kick to the groin.

Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke stared in horror as their expectations of a typical day flew out the window.

Kaworu, who also tagged along, was only mildly amused.

The biker toppled over with a groan, alerting his fellow comrades as they rushed to his aid!

Asuka made short work of them as well, with precise punches and kicks, which sent them careening into the arcade machines, causing extensive injury!

"Let's get out of here!"

Despite his usual brash temper, Toji wasn't in the mood for a pummeling during what was supposed to be his free time.

The boys ran for the exit, only to be cut off by three other bikers!

"Guys, it was an accident. We di-"

Shinji's attempt to negotiate was answered by a punch to the face.

"Shut up! You think your bitch of a girlfriend can mess with us and get away with-"

The bikers, in turn, were cut off as the usually reserved Kaworu Nagisa pounced on them like an enraged predatory bird!

The one who punched Shinji received a knee to the groin and a headbutt to the nose for his trouble.

The other two bikers charged, only for Kaworu to ever-so-slightly poke their pressure points!

The bikers were unconscious before they even hit the ground.

"Hmph, not so bad, Fifth."

Asuka complimented Kaworu as she released the chokehold on the last hostile biker.

Kaworu smiled.

"Just protecting Shinji and the others. You did exceptionally well."

Indeed, the arcade behind Asuka was now littered with battered bikers.

However, the biker who started the entire brawl started to recover!

"Damn you!"

He swiftly drew a concealed Walther PPK and aimed it at Asuka...

...only to be shot from behind the arcade's counter!

The group wheeled around to see the biker grasping his injured hand in shock!

A uniformed police officer appeared with his revolver drawn and approached the group.

"You kids okay?!" shouted the officer.

"Yes, sir! Thanks for saving us!" replied an elated Kensuke.

"You guys better get going. There's been a lot of gang activity in the downtown area recently, so be on the lookout for anything suspicious, got it?"

"Of course, sir."

Shinji meekly replied.

"It's a good thing your friends know some moves. Otherwise, a bruise on the cheek would be the least of your problems."

Asuka smugly smirked at the officer's compliment.

Then she realized something amiss…

"Shouldn't you be asking us for witness statements?"

"Statements? No need, I already saw everything from the counter."

Before Asuka could question him further, a familiar voice rang out.

"Shinji! Asuka! Are you alright-"

Bumblebee paused at the arcade's entrance as he recognized the cop.

The look on his face was enough for Shinji to realize that the officer was not who he seemed.

Bumblebee's fear turned into rage as he drew a pistol of his own and aimed at the cop!

"Barricade!"

His identity revealed, Barricade frowned and leveled his gun at Bumblebee!

"Right on time, Bee. Little Miss Shikinami was about to figure me out."

"It's Soryu!"

"Not now, Asuka!"

With Bumblebee momentarily distracted, Barricade drew a second pistol and executed the injured biker!

In response, Bumblebee fired a warning shot that narrowly missed Barricade's head, shattering an arcade machine in the distance!

"The next one won't miss," hissed the Autobot scout.

Barricade chuckled.

"Several legitimate police cars are heading to this location as I speak. Now, how would it look like to those human cops to see a delinquent aiming a gun at a uniformed police officer?"

Bumblebee scowled.

"You don't deserve that disguise! You're a disgrace to law enforcement everywhere!"

"Really? That fellow I just killed tried to assault your friends and shoot Ms. Soryu while her back was turned. His little gang even had the nerve to punch poor Shinji in the face as he tried to reason with them. If anything, I did you guys a favor."

Barricade smugly holstered his guns and walked out the back door.

His real body, a Nissan Fairlady Z police car, started up and sped off with sirens blaring.

Still seething with anger, Bumblebee holstered his gun as well.

Looking at his worried friends, he tried his best to reassure them.

"He's one of Megatron's men. We have a long history together, and I'll explain more once we return to base."

_Later, at the Decepticon Odawara Base…_

Two U.S. Marines in dress uniform approached the warehouse guarded by a lone man in a suit.

The sharply dressed guard eyed the duo, recognizing them as guests.

"Won't your commanding officer be suspicious?"

"He told us to meet here," answered one of the pair.

"In that case, 'The Professor' is out at the moment. His annoying aide is still here, though."

"We're used to him by now," answered the other Marine.

The guard slightly opened the warehouse door.

"Follow me, he might get jumpy and shoot you."

The Marines followed the guard to the center of the room, populated by two other men in similar attire and an older man in a scientist's outfit.

"Skywarp! Who are these two?!"

"Identified: Blackout and Grindor. Irregular warfare specialists."

Blackout turned towards his brother and smirked.

"I told you Starscream wouldn't recognize us."

Grindor sighed and handed him some yen.

As Starscream tried to hold back his anger, Skywarp rushed back to the entrance.

"What took you so long?!"

"We had to upgrade our alt modes to the newest models. The older Stallions keep crashing."

"And we were also planting viruses for Lord Megatron's next op."

Starscream turned towards Thundercracker and Soundwave for an explanation.

"You do realize what the next op is, right?" asked a perplexed Blackout.

"I'm calling it. It's so important, Megatron doesn't trust him with it."

Grindor mockingly told his brother.

Thundercracker whispered the basics of the plan to a now-fuming Starscream.

"The JSDF coup? I thought that was shelved when Takahashi got ventilated!"

"Usurping Takahashi and his little conspiracy was only the first step, Starscream."

Megatron announced as he walked into the room, with Skywarp in tow.

"The true objective was Project G. But since Maki regained control of his senses, he'll be more difficult to control. We need some insurance in case the plan falters."

Megatron motioned to Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker.

"I require the three of you to perform an airstrike. Several, if you can manage it."

Grindor stepped up and went over the plan.

"Operation Masakado will commence as follows: The Seekers will fly to Tokyo-2 and attack the Prime Minister's Residence and National Diet Building. Any attempts to intercept you will be diverted by the Reverse Evolution Virus planted by Blackout and me. With the government crippled, the newly formed JSSDF will have no choice but to declare martial law. We start once Barricade gets here."

As if on cue, the sound of police sirens blared outside.

"Right on schedule. Skywarp, get the door!"

Skywarp was about to move to the door when suddenly…

_**SPOOM!**_

A side door exploded, and several SWAT officers stormed into the compound!

The other Decepticons switched off their avatars, leaving only Megatron.

"_Seele. How troublesome. I actually kind of miss the Autobots."_

The former tyrant thought to himself.

"Hands over your head!" yelled an officer.

"_I'll miss the Walther P-38. Alas, there's only so much a man with a pistol can do."_

The holomatter avatar disappeared.

The SWAT team only had a second of confusion before a bomb obliterated the warehouse!

High above them, a B-2 Spirit bomber hovered over the now-smoking remains of Takahashi's mother lode.

"_Lord Megatron! This is Barricade!"_

"_Barricade!_ _Seele just stormed our hideout! I need you to-"_

"_I must apologize, my lord. I had a run-in with the Eva pilots a while back. I saved them from a biker gang, but the Autobot Bumblebee recognized me, and I fled."_

"_Did they pursue?"_

"_No. Nerv issued an Angel alert." _

"_Stay in Tokyo-3. We're continuing with Operation Masakado."_

"_What?! What about Nerv, Seele, the Autobots? Won't they respond?!" _

"_Good! Let's walk right into a trap! As if one blunder wasn't enough!" _

Starscream interrupted.

"_Silence, Starscream! If we move now, Ikari will send the Autobots after us. Our best bet now is to surrender ourselves to them and Nerv, upon which we will activate our contingency plan."_

"_Which is?"_

"_Godzilla Earth."_

_To be continued..._


	29. Decisive Battle

Sea of Tranquility: Prelude to a Decisive Battle

_Autobot Base Camp, Aokigahara Forest, near Mount Fuji…_

"_Target sighted. He's holding a meeting."_

"_Operation Masakado will commence as follows: The Seekers will fly to Tokyo-2 and attack the Prime Minister's Residence and National Diet Building. Any attempts to intercept you will be diverted by the Reverse Evolution Virus planted by Blackout and me. With the government crippled, the newly formed JSSDF will have no choice but to declare martial law. We start once Barricade gets here."_

"_Wait. Are those U.S. Marines?"_

"_We'll hand them over the MPs later. Prepare to breach upon signal."_

A police siren blared.

"_Right on schedule. Skywarp, get the door!"_

"_Team 1, breaching!"_

"_Hands over your head!"_

The "suspects" vanished into thin air!

"_What the-"_

Cut to static.

Not long after Bumblebee dropped off the kids at Nerv HQ, he informed Prowl of his encounter with Barricade.

Using his contacts with the Tokyo-3 Police and information from Luna, Prowl managed to dispatch a SWAT team to Megatron's last known location.

He could only listen in horror as the warehouse went up in flames along with the unfortunate officers.

Nonetheless, Prowl managed to salvage and forward the body camera footage from the failed raid to his fellow Autobots.

"'Operation Masakado?' What does that mean?!"

Ironhide, unfamiliar with Japanese history, asked Prowl for an explanation.

"Taira no Masakado was a rebellious warlord during the Heian period who became infamous for ruthlessness and audacity in battle. Masakado was eventually killed in action, but ghost stories concerning his severed head remain to this day."

The Autobot motorcycle cop paused for a moment of realization.

"In short, Megatron intends to overthrow the Japanese government with a decapitation strike on Tokyo-2, then have Takahashi's conspirators in the JSSDF seize control."

"I thought the coup plot was already vanquished."

Ratchet asked, remembering the release of Project G and the attempted sabotage of Jet Alone.

"Not entirely, Ratchet. Megatron wouldn't ally himself with any ordinary crime boss. Takahashi must have had connections in high places who could feign ignorance at the drop of a helmet."

"Like the Functionists? In that case, no wonder Megatron disposed of him once he got what he needed."

Indeed, Optimus and Ratchet knew too well of the intricate alliance between organized crime and political corruption.

Turning his attention to another part of the plot, Optimus looked to Wheeljack.

"Wheeljack! What's the status on the Reverse Evolution vaccine?!"

"It's ready, but I don't know if it'll work on humans' computers."

"What about the Magi?"

"It might stand a chance. You think he'll attack Nerv?"

"An Angel attack requires the concentration of many JSDF units. If the Magi malfunctions mid-battle, Nerv will be crippled, and Tokyo-2 will have to send all the reserves they have to buy time."

"Leaving no one to defend it in case of attack."

Suddenly, Nerv's Angel alert sounded!

"Oh, speak of the Fallen," muttered Bumblebee.

"_Prime! Do you copy?!"_

"Yes, Major Katsuragi! We read you!"

"_Looks like Discord's warning was right. Magi just detected four Angels! Three are currently active, and an inactive one is inside Mount Asama!"_

"Are the new Eva Units combat-ready?!"

"_We're outfitting the pilots as we speak."_

"And Maki?!"

"_We're keeping track of him. He's currently stationary in the Pacific, but there's no way he'll miss this after that incident with the Fleet!"_

"We have another problem. Megatron's plotting to resume Takahashi's coup d'etat."

"_What?! I thought the JSDF already took care of the plotters!"_

"He only needs the JSDF to declare martial law. Megaton's plan is to launch a cyberattack on Nerv and an airstrike on Tokyo-2's government offices at the same time as the Angels make landfall. He calls it 'Operation Masakado.'"

"_Masakado? Oh, right, he was Shinji's teacher..."_

"_If the Magi is crippled and the JSDF declares martial law, Nerv would be forced to surrender all its assets, including the Evas."_

Ritsuko chimed in, adding the increasingly bad news.

Together, Misato and Prime connected the dots.

"And thanks to Maki and Ghidorah, Japan now has a total of seven Evangelion units for the JSDF to seize. After that, Megatron would simply purge them."

"_And since Megatron was behind Maki's release…" _

"He's been planning this for a while."

Misato sighed, realizing the ingenuity of her opponent.

"_Can I trust you guys to handle him?"_

"You should focus on the Angels, Major. We've dealt with Megatron before, and today is no different!"

"_Alright, good luck on your end."_

"Good luck with yours, Major."

The Major signed off.

"Wheeljack, Ratchet, stay here with Omega Supreme in case the Magi comes under attack!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Sky Lynx, transport the rest of us to Tokyo-2! We'll need all the firepower we can spare!"

"Yes, sir!"

"I don't know what Megatron intends to accomplish with this plot, but has that ever stopped us from foiling him?"

"Sir, no, sir!"

Wheeljack, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Prowl, Jazz, Sky Lynx, and Cliffjumper all yelled in unison.

Underneath his faceplate, Optimus smiled at his troops.

"Autobots, transform, and roll out!"

_Evangelion Pilot Briefing Room, Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3…_

With the arrival of four new Eva units, it was evident that they would require new pilots.

But Shinji never realized the possibility that said new pilots would be his classmates from Class 2-B.

"These plugsuits feel weird. It's like I'm wearing nothing at all!"

"Trust me, Toji. You'll get used to it."

"The girls are going to wear these too, right? Dear God, it's gonna be awkward!"

"I don't think they'll mind."

"Easy for you to say, Prof! Besides, I'm more worried about Kensuke over there."

"Yes! I get to pilot a giant robot and fight alongside magical girls and Kaiju! Dreams can come true!"

"Kensuke, trust me on this. It's not as easy as you think."

"Not as easy? Didn't we help you kill an Angel once?"

"Right. The one that didn't explode."

Toji remembered fondly.

"Look, guys, we're gonna be fighting for our lives against some ridiculous overpowered monsters out there. The best thing we can do right now is to look aft-."

It was then that Misato arrived, accompanied by Kaworu, Rei, Asuka, and Hikari.

They were all in their plugsuits, and as Toji predicted, it was hard for the new recruits to avert their gaze.

"Eye contact, gentlemen."

Kaworu reminded the duo with a sly smile.

"Yes, sir…"

Toji mumbled, while Kensuke quickly wiped a drop of blood from his nose.

"How bad is it, Misato?" asked Shinji.

"Four Angels."

"Including the one in the volcano?"

"Not anymore. Kirishima-san just tried attacking one of them, and it split into two separate Angels in response. She managed to retreat thanks to Sawashiro-sensei and that moth of hers."

"Do we know what they're capable of?" asked Toji.

Misato looked at the list of names and grimaced.

"First off, we have Israfel, the twins that Jet Alone just engaged. Then we have Sandalphon, the one currently resting in Mount Asama. Matarael, a giant arachnid which apparently spits acid. And last but not least, Sahaquiel, which is literally trying to nuke us from orbit."

Kensuke raised his hand as if he was still in class.

"Yes, Aida?"

"Major, may I make a suggestion?"

"What is it?"

Kensuke pushed up his glasses and smirked confidently.

"Four Angels may seem formidable, but it would be much easier to focus all our strength on one opponent at a time."

"A defeat in detail?"

"Exactly!"

"What does that involve?" asked a confused Toji.

"Let me explain. If we include the Jet Alone, there are eight of us against four of them. That means we can send at least two units against a single Angel. Once we factor in the help of allies like Sawashiro-sensei, we can steadily eliminate each threat, and then focus all our efforts on Mount Asama."

Misato smiled.

"That's actually a pretty good idea. You should consider a career in the JSDF."

"Already prepared myself, Major."

"He means he plays airsoft at Mount Hakone on the weekends."

Kensuke glared at Toji with a "Could you not?!" expression on his face.

Misato glanced at her watch.

"You kids should be launching."

_Inside Evangelion Unit 04, Unit Hangars, aka "The Cages"..._

Kensuke waited patiently for the Plug to fill up with LCL.

He was well-acquainted with the blood-like fluid after that fateful first day of class.

Some might say a little _too_ acquainted.

He closed his eyes as the Nerv technicians ran system checks over his comms.

"_This is it. This is the moment I dreamt of for so-"_

_**CRAAASSSHHH!**_

Kensuke's eyes jolted open!

He looked around, seeing only pitch darkness!

"_Don't worry, kid! I got you!" _

A lone voice yelled over his comms.

Another _**CRAAASSSHHH!**_

Unit-04's in-cockpit viewscreen switched on automatically!

However, the battlefield Kensuke saw was very different from Tokyo-3!

It was on a tropical island, as he could tell from the burnt foliage.

A group of giant wounded monsters laid around him, writhing in pain!

He looked at the horizon and saw a blue ocean for the first time in his life!

Then Kensuke looked upwards and saw a fantastic sight!

What appeared to be a spaceship engaging a three-headed cyborg dragon!

"Well, Kensuke, you've watched plenty of anime, haven't you?"

He turned and saw the mysterious agent known as "Discord" levitating before his Eva!

"Know a good _isekai_?"

Kensuke took a moment to process, then blurted out.

"**WHAT THE FU-"**

_To be continued..._


	30. The Burning Mountain

Sea of Tranquility: The Burning Mountain

_Evangelion Unit Hangars, Nerv H.Q…_

In a sudden flash of red light, Evangelion Unit-04 completely disappeared!

The Nerv staff ran amok, trying to make sense of what had happened to the mecha and its young pilot!

"_Kensuke? Kensuke!" _

Shinji yelled over the comms.

"_What the hell just happened?!"_

Toji, having known Kensuke much longer, was visibly distraught.

Misato looked to Ritsuko for an explanation.

"The experimental S2 engine must have malfunctioned!"

Understandably, Misato flew into a fury upon recognizing the familiar term used in her late father's research.

"You mean an Angel's _liver_?! You stuck _that_ into an Eva unit?!"

"We were trying to see if it could independently power itself without an umbilical cable! We didn't expect the Unit to teleport itself into a Dirac Sea!"

"A _what_?!"

"A pocket dimension! Pilot Aida is in a completely different universe at this moment!"

Misato looked back at the pilots' displays with sadness and shock.

"No need to worry. I already took care of it."

Discord suddenly appeared behind the technicians, looking rather haggard.

His usual colorful suit was now in tatters as if he was involved in a bar fight.

"I teleported Kensuke out of the Dirac Sea to my universe. You know, the blue Earth of 2029. He's in good hands."

"Why would you do that?!"

Misato angrily demanded.

"You remember our three-headed friend, Ghidorah? Let's just say he's not quite dead yet…"

_Odawara, a week earlier, during the battle with Ghidorah…_

"Soundwave, you said that when DARPA found the sample at Yellowstone, it was a single cell, correct?"

"Affirmative, Lord Megatron."

"Is it possible that it might have been damaged tissue from another Godzilla?"

"Accessing File: Professor Goro Maki was a native of Odo Island, now destroyed by the Second Impact. He named the specimen after a local deity."

"_Gojira_?"

"That is correct, Lord Megatron."

"Then, that means we have another Godzilla. One much older and stronger than the hybrid Maki is now."

Starscream remained skeptical.

"If such a powerful being existed, why hasn't it engaged the Angels or done anything since the Second Impact? Did it die?"

Megatron scoffed at such a notion.

"Impossible, a Kaiju of his size and stature would view such a cataclysm as a minor nuisance. If anything, it probably hid underground in a volcanic rift zone."

"That might explain the Yellowstone sample."

Thundercracker pondered.

"But wait, even if Godzilla could survive in magma, how come a single cell of his floated all the way to the U.S.? The odds of that are incredibly-"

"Improbable. Now, remind me, who do we know deals with the improbable?"

By this point, every Decepticon knew who Megatron was referring to.

"Discord? He's in on this?! I thought you only needed him for those damn comic books!"

"One who can easily bend reality and time is an indispensable ally, Starscream."

"And an unpredictable opponent! You may have conned him and possibly the other Equestrians with your 'atonement' act, but Prime and his Autobots are a wholly different story! Before you know it, he'll turn the tables on us and play innocent!"

"There is no need to worry, Starscream. It's all part of my master plan."

"Oh, yes, those _brilliant_ master plans of yours..."

_The Skies above Tokyo-2, present day…_

Starscream was now regretting that he hadn't strapped a grenade to Megatron before throwing him out into space.

Indeed, his 'master plan' involved the Seekers continuing with an operation that was already compromised!

And now a flying Dinobot carrying angry Autobots was chasing them with guns blazing!

"Prepare yourselves, scum! You face the great and powerful Sky Lynx!"

"Oh, scrap! Oh, scrap! Oh, scrap!"

"Will you shut up, Skywarp?! We'll all be scrap if you don't move!"

"Starscream? Megatron ordered us to surrender, right?"

Thundercracker asked calmly.

"Yes."

"**SO WHY AREN'T WE SURRENDERING?!"**

"If we give up without a fight, they'll suspect a Plan B!"

Starscream answered, nonplussed by the flak and Thundercracker's outburst.

The Seekers transformed and returned fire!

Bumblebee, manning one of Sky Lynx's turrets, turned to Ironhide.

"Is it just me, or is Starscream braver than usual? Doesn't he usually run when he's beat?"

"I think turning into one of those Angels inflated his ego. I'm surprised it hasn't collapsed into a neutron star yet."

Prime realized something in shock!

"Sky Lynx, disengage and transwarp to Mount Asama!"

"But, Prime, I've got them on the run!"

"Why would Megatron continue with a plot if he knows it's been compromised?!"

Sky Lynx and the other Autobots realized the consequences of that question.

"Prepare for warp!"

Sky Lynx vanished in a flash of light!

"We've won! They ran away!" exclaimed Skywarp.

"No, you fool! They figured us out!" corrected Starscream.

_Mount Asama, Gunma/Nagano Prefectures, seconds later…_

Sky Lynx materialized in front of the scenic snowcapped volcano, immediately scanning for any signs of danger!

In a split second, he sharply swerved to the left, narrowly dodging a supersonic projectile!

The Autobots watched in horror as the projectile struck home and instantly triggered a volcanic eruption!

"Prime, that projectile came from the vicinity of Aokigahara!"

"Sky Lynx! The Decepticons must have attacked Omega Supreme! We must fall back and assist Ratchet and Wheeljack!"

"I'm afraid we have bigger problems!"

"The Angel?"

_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!**_

The Autobots froze at the sound of that familiar roar.

It was like Maki's and Spike's, only exponentially louder!

Optimus Prime, for all his centuries of combat, could only whisper in dumbfounded shock.

"No."

The entire side of Mount Asama exploded as an absolutely gargantuan Godzilla three times the size of its successors emerged from the ash and lava!

"Get the Pit out of here!"

For the first time, Ironhide screamed in absolute terror.

For the first time, Sky Lynx retreated against overwhelming odds.

For the second time, an Angel had been effortlessly destroyed by something far worse.

The monster deified by the inhabitants of Odo Island looked around at the hellscape he had wrought.

"_Yes!"_

It thought to itself.

"_This will be the perfect arena for my triumphant return!"_

_To be continued…_

**A/N: After a long period of planning, I have decided to split parts of my story into spinoffs/side-stories. Kensuke/Unit-04's experiences will be detailed in **_**Sea of Tranquility: Blue Earth**_** and another story involving the G1 Japanese Autobots and the Gundam franchise is in the works, titled **_**Sea of Tranquility: Beautiful Universe**_**. I'd like to thank my readers for their support thus far and look forward to meeting you there!**

**P.S. I chose to delete the "Deleted Scenes" chapter to avoid spoilers for future readers. I apologize for any misunderstandings.**


	31. The Great King Awakens!

Sea of Tranquility: The Great King Awakens!

_**Underneath Mount Asama, sometime earlier…**_

The King opened his eyes, his slumber disturbed by a rhythmic noise coming from above.

A noise that sounded eerily familiar to a heartbeat!

He swam upwards through the magma, at speed unusual for his size and build!

"_I know this presence."_

The King thought to himself.

"_It is the same creature that uprooted me all those years ago!"_

The King soon met the cause of his misfortunes.

"_A baby? No, a monster!" _

Indeed, the monster was still in its embryonic stage, hardly a threat to the King!

But he had already seen what an adult of its species was capable of!

"_If this child is here, it's family should be close!" _

The King opened his jaws, emitting a light!

"_Sorry, little one. This will be over soon."_

Suddenly, the volcano shook violently!

"_What?!"_

The creature's egg ruptured, and rushing magma quickly ended its short life!

Seizing his chance, the King swam with the current and broke free from his hellish prison!

_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!**_

The King roared triumphantly!

As we made his way out of the collapsing volcano, he saw a peculiar metal bird vanish from his sight!

He gave no thought to the fleeing foe and eyed his surroundings, now covered by a thin layer of ash.

"_Yes!_ _This will be the perfect arena for my triumphant return!"_

The King looked up and saw what appeared to be a massive eye barrelling towards his position!

He opened his jaws again and let out a vibrant red beam!

The beam traveled upwards into space, condensing into a narrow violet beam that struck the eye dead center!

An explosion of red, and then rain.

Slightly amused by the anticlimactic victory, the King took a moment to reminisce about his old rival.

"_I wonder how Ghidorah's doing?"_

_**Nerv H.Q…**_

"We've lost contact with the Asama team!"

"Pattern Blue readings have disappeared! Massive Pattern Orange detected!"

"Projecting visual!"

The assembled Nerv staff stared in silence and panicked whispers at the sight of a 300-meter tall dinosaur walking out of a collapsing volcano!

"Dear God…"

Misato muttered under her breath.

"_A creature of that size shouldn't even exist!"_

Ritsuko thought to herself, trying to make sense out of this development.

Fuyutsuki and Gendo stared wordlessly at the screen.

At this point, _nothing_ could shock them anymore.

The children, which had deployed to the fight the Angels, watched as their quarry ignored them and began moving towards Mount Asama.

"They ignored us?"

Asuka asked incredulously.

"Look at that."

Rei said stoically, pointing at the rising ash cloud at Mount Asama.

"Our job just got a lot harder, didn't it?"

Toji asked Shinji over the comms.

"It always does."

Shinji cynically replied.

_**Aokigahara, around the same timeframe…**_

"Intruder Alert! B-2 Spirit and F-117 Nighthawk approaching from Odawara!"

Omega Supreme announced.

Hardly a few minutes had passed since Sky Lynx departed with the others for Tokyo-2.

"Did Misato call for reinforcements?"

Wheeljack asked the old medic.

"No. If she did, she would have told us if they came our way."

"Decepticons?!"

"I'll take the Thermo Rocket Launchers! You finish that vaccine!"

As Ratchet armed himself and rushed to confront his foes, the bombers transformed!

"_Megatron and Soundwave. Just my luck!"_

The doctor cursed under his breath.

But instead of immediately attacking the Autobots, Megatron aimed his new railgun into the distance and fired!

"_A warning shot?! No, he's never that lenient!"_

It didn't take long for Ratchet to discover what Megatron was targeting.

"_He's aiming at something else! But there's nothing in that direction except…_

_...Mount Asama. Oh, Vector Sigma!"_

Ratchet gazed in horror at what Megatron had just done.

He readied the Launcher and aimed squarely at Megatron!

But before he could pull the trigger, the two Cons dodged as Sky Lynx warped in and tried to bite Megatron with his jaws!

Megatron delivered a swift kick to the Dinobot's face, only for Ratchet to fire homing missiles at him!

Soundwave moved quickly, shooting down the missiles mid-flight, and launching Laserbeak and Buzzsaw at Ratchet!

"_**MEGATROOOOONN!"**_

Prime bellowed as he jumped out of Sky Lynx, kicked Soundwave, and used the momentum to tackle Megatron in midair!

"Prime! Seele is the true enemy! Why sacrifice yourself for Functionists like them?!"

"And unleashing the most dangerous beings on this planet makes you better?!"

"How else do you expect me to fight them?! By enslaving myself to Gendo Ikari?!"

"I trust this Gendo about as much as I trust you, Megatron!"

"**Enough!"**

A loud, regal voice interrupted the battle.

Time seemed to stop as the combatants were suddenly encased in magical spheres!

Luna appeared from a portal, sporting a dark blue plugsuit with a crescent moon insignia!

Hovering behind her were the Seekers, also trapped in a magic bubble.

"Really, Starscream? You surrendered to _Luna_?!"

"Well, excuse me, _your Lordship_, I recall your orders were to surrender to the Autobots. Since they skedaddled to Mount Asama, we settled for the Princess."

Megatron's expression changed.

"You were at Mount Asama?"

Prime remained hostile but was surprised by Megatron's change of tone.

"I figured Masakado was a feint. Why would you continue with a mission that already failed? Then I figured you might move on the dormant Angel and make things harder for Nerv."

"You know me too well, Optimus."

Megatron smiled.

"But Nerv already has enough trouble on their end, seeing as there are four Angels left and they're down an Eva Unit. Though I suppose having three Godzillas on their side would make up for that."

Luna looked at Megatron with a shocked expression.

"Misato just told me about that. How did you know?!"

Megatron smirked.

"Discord told me."

Luna gritted her teeth and snarled.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"Luna, what's he talking about? Are the children safe?"

Prime asked worriedly.

"There was an issue with Unit 04. Long story short, Kensuke and the Eva are back in our universe, with Tia and Monarch. It would have been worse if Discord hadn't intervened."

Despite Prime's interruption, Megatron continued.

"Did he tell you why I started this scheme in the first place?"

"Grand King Ghidorah, was it?"

Prime looked back at Megatron in disbelief.

"Grand King Ghidorah? Is he like-?"

"Yes, Prime. I released a gargantuan Godzilla to fight a gargantuan Ghidorah. A god to fight a devil. Compared to them, even the strongest Angels are a nuisance at best!"

"And the one we killed last week?"

"A newborn hatchling that lasted as long as you'd expect. At least Maki had that cloning ability."

"Why did you mutate Maki anyway?"

"Maki was an Odo Islander and a loyal worshipper of _Gojira. _He was the perfect candidate to draw Godzilla back to the surface!"

"So you poisoned his wife, stole his identity, turned him into a test subject, and made him kill all those soldiers and sailors?!"

"No sacrifice, no victory."

Prime glared coldly at Megatron as he corrupted the motto of his oldest human allies, the Witwicky family.

"I sincerely hoped that we could become allies again, Megatron. But now I see that you've gone too far for redemption."

Megatron turned solemn.

"I never asked for redemption, Prime. I just hoped that after nine million years, you would finally realize that sometimes, playing nice gets you an early grave!"

He turned to Luna.

"Allow me to restore peace to this world. Let me defeat Seele, the Angels, and Ghidorah, and you can have my spark on a plate. Until then, I'll need your cooperation in damage control."

"Deal."

Prime turned to Luna in surprise.

"Princess, do you realize-"

"I know, Prime. But thanks to Ghidorah, we no longer have other options. Is that clear?"

"Understood, Your Highness."

"If he endangers any more lives, you have my permission to shoot him yourself."

Megatron laughed.

"He already has."

_To be continued..._

**A/N: "Grand King Ghidorah" here refers to the version seen in the Godzilla anime film trilogy, not the Rebirth of Mothra version.**


	32. The Best-Laid Plans

Sea of Tranquility: The Best-Laid Plans

_**An undisclosed location…**_

To say that Seele was unhappy would be another understatement.

"How could we not foresee this?!"

"We thought _Gojira_ was an ordinary Shinto spirit. There was nothing to prove that it was a living creature, let alone mountain-sized!"

"We control every single scientific and governmental organization on the planet! There must have been _some_ evidence!"

Chairman Lorenz contemplated his next move as the other council members argued.

Then, he announced it.

"Gentlemen, it is with regret that I must order the immediate revocation and termination of Nerv. This development irrevocably proves that Gendo Ikari has lost control of both his allies and the Scenario. Our only hope for the Instrumentality Project to succeed is to act now while we still can!"

"What of the Angels and these new beasts?"

"Let them fight Ikari's misguided allies and eliminate each other."

"And Unit-08?"

"We'll dispatch the Mass Production Units to Alaska first under the guise of reinforcement. Once all the units are in Japan, we'll give them the order to mop up."

"But, we only managed to finish nine out of the twelve planned units!"

"The pilots will be fatigued by the intense fighting, especially if their comrades have been sacrificed. Besides, our only concern is Unit-01."

"Even if we fail, our fates are sealed anyway."

"The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth."

"As you command, Chairman."

"Very well, begin Executive Order 719."

_**Prime Minister's Official Residence, Tokyo-2…**_

Due to the threat of Operation Masakado and the ongoing threat of Angel attacks, Prime Minister Rando Yaguchi had retreated to an underground bunker.

It was there that he received Executive Order 719.

After the call ended, however, he contacted one of his secret confidants.

A certain JASDF general by the name of Norio Kato.

"They sent the order as you predicted."

"_My sources predicted these events, Minister Yaguchi. I merely trusted them. If you send out the JSSDF as the Committee suggests, the coup forces will make their move with no one to defend you!"_

"So what do we do? Disobey a direct order from the U.N.?"

"_By the next few hours, the Committee will no longer represent the United Nations, Minister Yaguchi. You leave the complicated parts to me."_

Yaguchi gulped.

"You have my permission to do whatever is necessary, so long as the nation of Japan is still intact by the end of this."

"_I applaud your courage, Minister Yaguchi. But I must warn you that the stakes have never been higher than it is now."_

The General hung up after that.

Yaguchi nervously chuckled and thought to himself.

"_That's what they said after the Second Impact."_

_**Autobot base, Aokigahara…**_

"Your contact is _the Prime Minister?!_"

Ratchet incredulously asked Megatron.

"Crime, once exposed, has no refuge but in audacity."

"Where did you get that from? A fortune cookie?"

Bumblebee snidely replied.

"Tacitus. I do appreciate philosophy, even if does come from a human."

Ratchet bitterly glared at Megatron.

"Oh, really? Well, my favorite Tacitus quote is 'They plunder, they slaughter, and they steal. This they falsely name Empire, and where they make a wasteland, they call it peace.' Sound familiar?"

Megatron smirked at Ratchet's insult.

"If this is because I've sent many Autobots and humans to their Maker, remember that we were at war, my good doctor. 'Once killing starts, it is difficult to draw the line!'"

Optimus drew his path blaster and held it to Megatron's face.

"Raise your voice against my men again, _and I'll go for your head_."

Megatron, now complacent, calmly responded.

"Very well, we'll discuss Tacitus later. Right now, you should focus on locating a certain Mr. Ryoji Kaji."

"Kaji? Is this version of him Gendo's spymaster too?"

"Yes, a trusted errand boy. Now that Seele's purging Nerv ahead of schedule, who do you think they'll start with?"

"Luna!"

"On it!"

With that, Luna teleported elsewhere.

"Funny how some things never change. Don't you agree, Orion?"

With that, Optimus paused.

"It's been a while since you addressed me by that name."

"All this time, I called you by your new name and rank as a reminder that our paths have diverged."

"You were trying to desensitize yourself. Now you're apologizing for _that_, of all the things you've done?"

"I'm not regretting _everything_ I've done, Prime. Remember that it was I who started the revolution against the Council! It was my soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the name of a better future! You, on the other hand, did their bidding and waited for the right time to launch a coup! If it weren't for your charisma, you'd be no better than Starscream!"

Starscream laughed at Megatron's comparison.

"The great Optimus Prime a discount Starscream! Oh, that's rich! Haha!"

"Shut up, Starscream!"

Both leaders shouted in unison.

Starscream's laugh devolved into a chuckle.

"You have a point, though. Remind me, what were you two when the oh-so-glorious revolution began? A librarian-turned-cop and a poet-turned-gladiator! I was a Senator!"

He pointed at Megatron.

"Who smuggled arms to your side? I did!"

Then, at Optimus.

"Who stamped all your reforms? I did!"

Starscream waved a finger at all the Cybertronians present.

"Who assassinated the Functionist Council one-by-one? I did!"

"Technically, Tarn and his friends assassinated them. You just handed them the list of names."

Starscream aimed a null ray at Thundercracker's face.

"Interrupt me again, Thundercracker! See what happens!"

A bright purple flash interrupted the standoff before it could go any further.

"What was that?!"

Prime's commlink came online!

"_Prime, this is Major Katsuragi! The Godzilla at Mount Asama just shot an Angel out of space! The others are flocking to fight him!"_

"Major, are the Evas safe?"

"Yes, they only briefly engaged the Angels before they retreated."

"Listen, Tokyo-2 just issued Executive Order 719."

"_What?! They're disbanding us __**now**__ of all times?!_

"But there's some good news."

"_What could it possibly be?!"_

"_Masakado is still in effect. Just redirected is all."_

"_Who the hell is this?"_

Misato demanded.

"_Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, and your final hope for survival."_

_**Underneath the Pacific Ocean…**_

Goro Maki rested in his monstrous form, dreaming of times past.

In his mind, he was back on his native Odo Island, admiring the summer beach and the blue sea.

"Shouldn't you be heading back to work?"

Maki gazed at his late wife, young and beautiful as he remembered.

"The boss let me rest a little after my ordeal."

"Really? How nice of him."

"It's just some small-time crooks, nothing he can't handle. If anything happens, he'll call his friend in Alaska."

"Alaska? I hope he can handle a summer breeze!"

"Or the guy in Okinawa. Either way, it's only for the worst-case scenario."

Suddenly, his cellphone rang.

Ms. Maki understandably grimaced.

Goro groaned at his tempting fate and answered.

"What is it, my lord?"

"_Maki, my loyal servant, how's the army doing?"_

"It'll be a while before we have enough troops to defeat Ghidorah. The good news is that quite a few Zillas survived the initial invasion."

"_I see the humans have bolstered their defenses. Though I must admit, I never expected them to be smart enough to use the Enemies' own biology against them."_

"You'll be surprised at what humanity can achieve after a sudden cataclysm."

"_That said, what of the Other-worlds humanity has allied with? I see a Godzilla and a Mothra amongst their ranks."_

"They might be a nuisance to our plans for now. But, I suppose Ghidorah's arrival will change their tune. I suggest we stick to fighting the Enemies for now."

"_A wise plan, my servant. Enjoy your rest for now. If Ghidorah does appear earlier than expected, I shall call upon you immediately."_

"And what of Gamera and King Caesar, my lord?"

"_They shall awake when the time is right. After all, they wouldn't dare miss out on the fun!"_

Goro hung up.

"What did he say?"

Ms. Maki asked.

"Just wanted an update."

"And your vacation?"

"Might be cut short. But not for a while."

"Then let's get back to enjoying ourselves!"

Goro smiled with content for the first time in ages.

"Of course, Saeko."

_**Somewhere in Tokyo-3…**_

Kaji pored over the secret files he stole in an abandoned building.

"_Scientist boy meets an island girl and becomes a giant dinosaur. Hmm, Typical fairy tale."_

He thought to himself.

The files contained profiles on Dr. Goro Maki and his wife…

...one Saeko Makinami.

Kaji heard footsteps behind his location.

He turned and faced the intruder.

"You're late."

A gunshot rang out…

_**To be continued…**_


	33. The World's a Stage

Sea of Tranquility: The World's a Stage

_**Condemned Sonozaki Co. Office Building, Tokyo-3...**_

Kaji defiantly faced his would-be killer.

"You're late."

A well-dressed man in shades drew a pistol and aimed at Kaji's forehead!

_**BANG!**_

Kaji ducked as a sniper's shot ended the gunman, sending his corpse sideways!

Seizing his chance, he crawled towards the fallen assassin and grabbed his pistol!

However, a familiar heel jabbed the back of his hand, and another gun was pointed at his head!

"Easy there, Triple Agent. You have enough enemies as it is."

Kaji grimly smirked.

"Nice to see you again, Princess. Shouldn't you be helping your friends fight the Yakuza coup?"

"In case you haven't noticed, we've decided to put aside our quarrels for now. It's the natural reaction to facing a forgotten Odo Island god."

"He broke loose, huh? Great. Wouldn't be the only thing Seele tried to swipe into a dustbin."

"Let me guess, they covered up Second Impact and World War III?"

"Even before that. Ever heard of a village called Hinamizawa?"

Luna grimaced.

"I… might have heard some ghost stories."

"Yeah, well, whatever you heard was child's play compared to reality. Seele used the place as a damn testbed for biological weaponry! The 'Syndrome' they described drove children insane, and they just _sat back and watched as those kids murdered their families and friends!_"

"What happened to the village?"

Luna asked, hoping to calm Kaji down before his outburst attracted more attention.

"Destroyed by a limnic eruption on June 24th, 1983."

Discord interrupted and walked in, sporting his usual colorful suit and wielding a gold-plated AKM.

"You remember the 'stories,' don't you, Princess? I distinctly remember you crying about how you didn't get the best ending!"

"Best ending?"

Kaji asked Luna, who was turning a shade of red.

"I'll explain later. Discord, shouldn't you be-"

"Already shot all the hitmen in the area. Let's go before Barricade and his coworkers show up."

"Hold onto those files, Kaji. This might tickle a bit."

"Wait, what-"

In a flash of light, the trio disappeared, leaving an army of slain assassins for the T3PD to dispose of!

_**Autobot Base, Aokigahara…**_

Discord, Luna, and Kaji materialized out of thin air!

"Where are we?" coughed a discomforted Kaji.

Kaji coughed, clearly discomforted.

"Ah, Agent Kaji. Welcome to our humble base. It is the most secure location considering your current predicaments."

Ratchet warmly greeted Kaji, who stared in disbelief.

"Your idea of 'shelter' is _on the front lines_?!"

Kaji incredulously exclaimed to Luna and Discord.

"Well, Kaji, let me put it this way. Would you rather get shot and bleed to death in an alley, or get squished by a giant atomic-powered dinosaur like a real man?"

Scathed by Discord's comeback, Kaji begrudgingly walked towards Ratchet and handed him some external hard drives.

"Here are the files on Seele. All their dirty laundry since World War II."

"Excellent. I hope they will increase our knowledge of Godzilla's strengths and weaknesses, as well as Maki and his project."

"Gah! Maki! I forgot to tell you!"

"What is it?" asked Ratchet.

"His wife's maiden name is Saeko Makinami! Her niece is-"

"Mari Illustrious Makinami. The pilot of Evangelion Unit-08. Currently in Alaska alongside Maria Vincennes and Unit-07."

Megatron answered, shocking Kaji with his presence.

"_You're_ here? And how did you know that?"

"We made a little truce for now, as the Princess said. As it happens, this universe and ours are more alike than you realize."

Megatron looked towards Discord.

"But that isn't always the case in the multiverse. Show them what you showed me, Discord."

Discord took a deep breath and removed a box from a magical portal.

He opened it, revealing stacks of _manga_ titled _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and _Higurashi: When They Cry_.

"What… What the hell is this?!"

Kaji stammered, obviously on the brink of an existential crisis.

"Megatron's Rule of Parallel Realities: What is real in one universe is fictional in another and vice versa."

The Decepticon Leader pridefully boasted.

"Or in simpler words: We read the spoilers," snarked Discord.

Kaji sat down and wiped his brow.

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to comprehend the fact that life as we know it might just be some words in someone else's book."

"Don't sweat it. Just pretend you're some superhero and make the best of it. That's what I did."

"Discord, I highly doubt spreading chaos can be considered heroism."

"Luna, I highly doubt plunging the world into eternal darkness can be considered heroic. Overthrowing your sister, on the other hand, actually pretty normal for a royal."

As Luna and Discord bickered, Omega Supreme detected a new threat!

"**Warning! Simultaneous seismic disturbances detected in Okinawa and Alaska! New Titans are awakening!"**

"They're reacting to Godzilla's presence! Ghidorah probably isn't far behind either!"

With Ratchet's analysis, Prime turned towards Megatron for answers.

"I know King Caesar is in Okinawa, but who's in Alaska?"

"Let's just say he gets along well with protoforms, so don't worry about the Nerv base there."

Prime and Luna instantly knew who he was referring to.

"Gamera."

"Is he as ancient and large as this Earth's Godzilla?"

"Ask him yourself, your Majesty."

Prime bristled at Megatron's tone but relented.

"Contact the Alaska base, tell them to prepare for Gamera's awakening. If he's here, there's no doubt that the Gyaos are there too!"

"Already on it."

Discord remarked as a clone of himself materialized and disappeared through a portal.

"You'd better not teleport the entire base again."

"It was one time, Luna! I wanted to make a good first impression!"

Kaji cleared his throat.

"So what do we do now? Just sit back and watch Godzilla fight the Angels for us?"

"No, more Angels will definitely appear as reinforcements. Knowing Godzilla, he'll go straight for the strongest Angels and ignore the weaker ones."

Luna explained.

"So we get the scraps. Not that I'm complaining, considering what that flying octahedron did to us."

Kaji's relief was short-lived, as Omega soon sounded another alarm!

"**Warning! Hacking attempt on Nerv's Magi units detected! Recommendation: Prepare Vaccine Program!"**

"Is it Seele?!"

Wheeljack wondered loudly.

"No. An Angel unlike any other. But no worries, I took precautions."

Megatron answered, then spoke into his comm.

"_Activate Reverse Evolution Virus!"_

Unfortunately, as soon as Megatron activated his trap, he doubled over in pain!

"**AAAAAAAAARRRRGH!"**

Every Cybertronian stared in shock as they realized what Megatron was trying to achieve!

Even Starscream could only mutter a faint whisper!

"_You damned fool..."_

"What's he doing?!"

Kaji shouted over the commotion.

Optimus Prime looked down at Megatron with concern for the first time in ages.

"He's… he's trying to _hack_ the Angel!"

_**To be continued...**_


	34. Vicious Cycle

Sea of Tranquility: Vicious Cycle

_**Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3…**_

The staff sat and watched as Godzilla effortlessly blasted Matarael, the spider-like Angel, into oblivion!

"_Misato! What are our orders?! He's already killed three of them!"_

"Hold back, Asuka! According to Prime, Godzilla prefers powerful opponents! The last thing we need is for him to attack us and ignore the Angels!"

"_So we're just going to sit here with our thumbs in our asses?!"_

Toji's crass statement visibly angered Misato.

"Major, I'm afraid I must concur with pilots Soryu and Suzuhara. Nerv cannot be seen as shirking in its duties, especially with the U.N. at our throats!"

"But, Commander…"

"If Prime knows the creature well, he should fight it himself! Prepare an attack on the Angels effective immediately!"

Misato chafed at the thought of rushing directly into a crossfire.

She knew that Prime had much more combat experience, especially concerning titanic kaiju like Godzilla.

But she also knew that Nerv had a reputation to uphold, which had eroded considerably after the arrival of their allies.

In any case, Gendo had already issued his direct orders, and as an inferior rank, she had no choice.

"Yes, sir. All Evangelions prepare for-"

"Corrosion alert in the Pribnow Box!"

"Pattern Blue Detected! It's an Angel!"

Aoba and Maya's declarations instantly derailed whatever strategy Misato had planned in her mind!

"How the hell did it get through?"

"It must have disguised itself as rust stains on the walls!"

More alarms blared!

"It's trying to hack the Magi! _Melchior_ is compromised!"

"The lasers aren't working! The A.T. Field's deflecting them!"

A horrific realization struck Ritsuko!

"It's trying to self-destruct HQ! Get the firewall run-"

"Secondary hacking attempt detected!"

"Who could possibly be-"

Ritsuko's mind went numb as a sudden jolt of pain sent her to the floor!

_**Tokyo-3 City Limits…**_

"Misato, can you read me? Misato!"

Shinji yelled into the comms, which had been corrupted with static.

"Communications are- _**AAAAAAAAAGH!**_"

Rei and Kaworu suddenly screamed loudly in pain!

"Ayanami! Nagisa! What's-"

Shinji, too, doubled over in pain!

_**Autobot Base, Aokigahara...**_

"What's he doing?!"

"He's… he's trying to _hack_ the Angel!"

Kaji never heard the answer to his question.

In less than a second, he joined Megatron in writhing and screaming on the ground!

"Kaji!"

Luna rushed to assist the fallen Kaji from injuring himself.

"What's happening to them?"

The princess asked Prime.

"Omega! Vaccine Program! Now!"

Ratchet desperately bellowed!

"**Activating Autobot Vaccine Program at Nerv HQ! Stand by…"**

Within seconds, Megatron and Kaji stopped screaming and lost consciousness from the pain!

"What in the Pit was that?!"

Ironhide yelled in consternation.

"Whatever it was, it affected every human on the planet."

Wheeljack grimly stated.

That one sentence had a chilling effect on all the beings present!

"Estimated casualties thus far: 1,789,251. Mostly vehicular accidents."

Soundwave's emotionless calculations only worsened the mood.

Seething with anger, Luna walked over to Discord and punched him across the face!

"Ugh!"

"What did you do? _**What in the nine levels of Tartarus did you do?!**_"

The princess fumed, her eyes visibly glowing.

Bullets would not harm Discord, but a petrifying spell...

"Ireul! Megatron wanted to hack Ireul! The Eleventh Angel!"

"How could Megatron possibly _hack an Angel?!_"

"It took the form of a techno-organic virus capable of infecting humans and machines!"

Prime connected the dots.

"So that's what the Reverse Evolution virus was for. Operation Masakado was just that, a ghost story."

"Took you long enough."

Starscream jeered under his breath.

Optimus angrily grabbed Starscream by the shoulders and slammed him against the ground before drawing his Energon Ax!

"You're still responsible for those 1 million human casualties! I gave you Decepticons multiple chances to redeem yourselves and prove me wrong, yet all you do is continue causing death and misery!"

Discord muttered something as he wiped his bloodied nose.

"...the last Angel."

Yet his whisper was enough to alert Prime and the Princess!

"**WHAT?!"**

"Oops. Spoilers."

The cosmic trickster grinned.

But it quickly disappeared when he felt his shoes freeze to the ground!

Luna glared at him, with her eyes now glowing white!

"Wait!"

Thundercracker stepped forward.

"Allow me to explain. The Eighteenth and Final Angel are the Lilin, or as we know it, Humanity."

The Autobots angrily drew their weapons at him.

"You'd better be lying."

Bumblebee spoke with absolute venom in his voice.

"Look at the files Kaji gave you, and the stuff Discord gave Megatron!"

Ratchet and Prime scanned the items.

Their optics widened as Thundercracker's proclamation was found to be true!

"Humanity itself is the final Angel. It was the case in those alternate universes, and it's the case here."

"But how?! They have more in common with the Titans than any human!"

Ironhide exclaimed in frustration.

"They're supposed to be creations of a species called the First Ancestral Race. Come to think of it, they might just be humans from another universe. Basically, an endless feedback loop."

Luna picked up one of the manga volumes from the box.

"Wait, I recognize this title now."

"_Neon Genesis Evangelion_?"

"No, in our universe, it was called _New Century Alcion_, remember?"

"You mean that depressing series we watched at Monster Island every Friday night?"

Jazz remembered.

"Yeah, Gendo used to take a shot every time something bad happened to Shinichi. Of course, Yui told him to knock it off after he nearly self-destructed the island for the third time."

Cliffjumper fondly reminisced as well.

"Oh, now, I remember! _The End of Alcion_! Good thing Yui ended the drinking game! I mean, the movie literally starts off with…"

Wheeljack came to a sudden realization.

"...the military invading. The Final Angel."

His voice suddenly turned panicky.

"Dear Primus, it's just like here! The shadowy cabal, the great disaster, alien monsters, the pilots being traumatized children, it's all here, and _we forgot_!"

"Where did you get these?!"

Luna interrogated Discord, now frozen in place.

"Axiom Nexus. Where else?"

Only Optimus appeared to recognize the name.

"Why would Megatron need material from another universe?"

Prime asked Discord.

"He said he'd been having visions of another life. He was the reformer fighting for justice, and you were the revolutionary-turned-tyrant. Imagine that."

Prime didn't have to.

"The visions we saw before transwarping here! Megatron's been having them too?"

"Why else would he throw the match in Autobot City?! He had you dead to rights with that hidden pistol, but he chose to turn and shoot at Hot Rod instead!"

"You mean Megatron _wanted_ to get himself killed?"

Starscream interrupted, in consternation at the grand revelation!

"He played you like a damn fiddle, Starscream! But don't worry, he did the same with Unicron and Shockwave."

Discord laughed.

"What does Unicron have to do with this?!"

"That obese planet-eater gave him and Tweedledee and Tweedledum over here-"

Discord gestured towards Skywarp and Thundercracker.

"Hey!"

"-new bodies in exchange for following his plans. But Shockwave was already planning to kill Starscream at the coronation, so it wasn't long before Unicron chose him instead."

"So, Unicron's involved. The Quintessons aren't invading Cybertron, they're warning us!"

Prime grimaced at the thought of fighting the dreaded planet-eater.

"But how does Grand King Ghidorah fit into all this?!"

Luna chimed in.

Discord suddenly turned pale.

"I might have thrown the Thirteenth Angel into Mecha-King Ghidorah's holding cage."

Luna slapped her forehead in consternation, as did the Cybertronians!

"I thought the Ghidorah was gonna eat it! Besides, Kensuke and I already killed it on Blue Earth!"

"And now the Garoga know about us, and they've sent their ultimate weapon! _Thanks_, Discord!"

Bumblebee groaned.

With all the pieces together, Prime deduced the reason behind their misadventure!

"Now I know why we saw the visions, why we're here. Megatron's been researching alternate universes, and hacking the Angel caused both of them to see everything on the other's consciousness! Add in Ghidorah's and Discord's reality-warping abilities…"

"A feedback loop to end all feedback loops."

The Autobots turned and watched as Megatron sat up!

"An energy spike transcending time and space! A beacon for a world in need of rescue!"

Prime turned to Megatron unarmed, but with clenched fists!

"Megatron, for once, tell me the truth! How long have you been planning this?!"

Megatron looked to Prime, with visible trauma on his face!

"Nova Point. Nominus Prime."

_**To be continued… **_

**A/N: Oh, boy. Due to the current pandemic, I tried to hold off on Ireul, considering that it's an Angel **_**virus**_**. (Okay, it was mostly a computer virus in the show, but still too soon!) But, it turned out to the best interconnecting thread to this plot I cobbled together as I went. Anyways, I hope you are all safe during these troubled times and feel free to read my side project, **_**Cries of Summer, **_**a **_**Friday the 13th/Higurashi**_** crossover! (Hence the hamfisted nods in the previous chapter. Sorry.) Be warned though, it is rated M for mature, as such a crossover should be!**


	35. What I've Done

Sea of Tranquility: What I've Done

"Megatron, for once, tell me the truth! How long have you been planning this?!"

"Nova Point. Nominus Prime."

Optimus reacted with shock.

"The old Energon mine? That long?!"

"If not for those strange dreams, I wouldn't have met my teachers, Termagax and Terminus."

"And everything since? Even the atrocities?"

"Prime, you've condemned me many times for telling half-truths and hypocrisies. I now tell you truthfully that everything I have done, both good and bad, was guided by these glimpses of parallel universes!"

Megatron winced and held his head for a moment.

"And now, I finally know their origin."

"A causal loop. You fulfilled your own prophecy."

Prime muttered.

Megatron clutched his head and winced again, then steadied himself.

"If the Orion Pax I know still exists, the sentimental librarian who saw the goodness in every spark, even as his former friend tried his damndest to prove him wrong, you will forgive me. But if you choose to shoot me here and now, I won't blame you."

Prime drew and aimed Megatron's hidden pistol at its former owner!

Megatron remained calm.

Prime turned around the gun and placed it in Megatron's hand!

"Remember this? Hot Rod's still recovering from the wound you gave him."

"Autobot City. You were-"

"Supposed to die. I know. I saw it on our transwarp here, during our mutual stasis lock."

"My apologies. I'm afraid I had to make it look convincing."

"Apologies?! Do you really think that after everything you've done, apologies are all you owe us?!"

Bumblebee roared, then turned chillingly soft-spoken,

"Sticking it to the Functionists, that I understand. Turning against your allies and spreading death across the universe, that I don't!"

Prime intervened.

"Enough, Bumblebee. If Megatron seeks our forgiveness, he'll have to actually help us from now on, as Luna stated."

Prime turned and glared at Discord.

"Which reminds me, Discord, I also blame you for our current situation."

"Hey!"

Discord indignantly yelled.

Megatron stifled the urge to smirk.

"You could have told us what Megatron was planning this entire time! Not to mention the millions of casualties your little conspiracy caused! If you want to make amends, you can start by telling us how to defeat Grand King Ghidorah!"

Discord sighed.

"Fine. For the record, the one million 'casualties' were mostly injuries! You try saving three billion people without some of them getting scratched!"

Discord snapped his fingers, and a tabletop game board materialized from thin air!

"Gamera will lure the Gyaos to Japan just in time for Maki to awaken with a brand new army of Zillas. Once Ghidorah arrives, Gamera and Godzilla Earth will take him on directly, while the two kaiju armies duke it out. King Caesar will clash with Maki, and with Spike, Twilight, and Mothra helping him, it won't be long before we bring him under control."

"What about the Angels?"

"Hopefully, the Angels got the message that humanity is off-limits. If not, they're going to send their strongest fighter: Zeruel, the Fourteenth Angel."

"So, what do you propose?"

"Send _**all**_ of the Evas against him. Shinji, Rei, Asuka, and Kaworu may be the only pilots with actual combat experience, but I think they can walk their friends through."

"And Seele?"

"Ah, that's the good part! Through a variety of disguises, I've managed to implant all the members with Cerebro shells! When Megatron did his little Contact Experiment, the double feedback caused their brains to literally explode!"

Discord smiled with sadistic glee, while his assembled audience stared at him with disapproval.

Starscream, on the other hand, was darkly amused while Megatron looked down and whistled innocently.

Discord nonchalantly cleared his throat and continued.

"Anyways, with Seele out the way, Nerv can now claim ownership of the Mass Produced Evangelions!"

But before Discord could continue, a woman in a flattering "maid" outfit suddenly appeared out of thin air next to him!

"Excuse me, My Lord."

"You don't have to be so formal."

"I was referring to Megatron."

The Decepticon leader smiled.

Discord sighed.

"Everyone, this is my cousin, Eris. Long story short, she's like me, but female."

Indeed, the mystery woman had similar facial features: silver hair, gold eyes with red pupils, a fang in the corner of her mouth!

"_Why is she dressed like a maid?"_

Luna hissed in Discord's ear.

"_Ask Kensuke."_

The reality warper muttered back.

"Ahem. What were you going to say, Eris?"

"I have terminated Keel Lorenz per your instructions. However, there is another issue."

Eris threw a damaged robot with traces of burnt clothing and mock flesh still attached!

"Keel Lorenz is _**not**_ a human with cybernetic prosthetics, as the texts presumed. I have searched for any signs of body doubles or decoys, but this machine was the only one."

"Did you search for an A.I.? There was one timeline where-"

"I ran all the countermeasures I could think of. I am like _**you**_, dear cousin."

The Cybertronians recognized the damaged circuitry as their own!

"A facsimile construct!"

Ratchet exclaimed.

"One of yours, Megatron?!"

A suspicious Bumblebee asked.

"No, I never used any infiltration units for these operations, just holo…"

Megatron suddenly realized the terrible truth, as a hologram of Shockwave appeared from the broken remains of Keel Lorenz!

"Did you really think you could hide secrets from your Chief Scientist, _**Lord**_ Megatron?!"

Shockwave declared with a hint of mockery.

"Shockwave?! You were impersonating Keel this entire time?!"

"What can I say? Dr. Henri Arkeville, Keel Lorenz, and the rest of the organization known as Cobra were the only humans worthy of my attention! The fact that the Lorenz of this timeline managed to amass such power was an opportunity too good to pass up!"

"I saw you betraying me countless times in alternate universes. Do you think you can outsmart me, Shockwave?!"

"You knew I would betray you, but did nothing to stop me? Well, that makes it sadder! I suppose Starscream's failed attempts made you feel complacent. I really should thank our Air Commander for being so hilariously incompetent!"

"_You can forget that drink at Maccadam's."_

Starscream angrily muttered, rescinding his promise from several months earlier.

Cliffjumper turned to Jazz and whispered,

"_Is it just me, or is Shockwave more emotional than usual?"_

To which Jazz replied,

"_He's the new leader of the 'Cons, right? Well, there you go."_

Prime motioned to his men to keep quiet and asked,

"What's your point, Shockwave? World domination? You've already succeeded by usurping Keel. Why awaken the Angels and cause all this misery?!"

"To torment you, Prime! You Autobots care so much for those immature little brats you call companions! You've infected Megatron and Deathsaurus with your sentimentality, and the Decepticon cause suffers as a result! Did you know that in at least one timeline, Megatron reformed and became a respected Autobot?!"

Bumblebee suddenly felt the urge to retch.

Starscream tried to hold back his laughter, but a slight chuckle escaped.

"But mark my words, I'd rather the entire Cybertronian race go extinct than let the Decepticons collapse! Which brings me to my other point..."

The hologram of Shockwave was replaced with an image of Grand King Ghidorah materializing in their universe!

"The Golden Emperor awaits you, My Lord. Do keep him entertained."

The hologram shut off just as Grand King Ghidorah screeched out an angry roar, radically different from his offsprings' cackle!

At that moment, Discord and Eris dropped to their knees and clutched their heads in pain!

"Discord! Eris!"

"…Too soon! It's too soon!"

Discord grunted between bouts of pain.

"What do you mean?"

Eris pointed to where Kaji lied!

Luna and the Cybertronians watched in horror as the unconscious triple agent dissolved into L.C.L., the reddish-orange blood-like liquid emanating from the Angels!

"The Third Impact. It's started."

Starscream realized.

"It's… It's just like _The End of Alcion_!"

Wheeljack now remembered clearly.

"_So this is what I deserve for meddling with fate. In attempting to avoid Third Impact, I only hastened its arrival."_

Megatron thought as he looked up to the sky and saw what appeared to be the Northern Lights!

"An aurora?!"

A terrified Skywarp exclaimed.

"Negative. Ghidorah is causing temporal anomalies across this universe. It is merging with another universe."

Soundwave explained.

"That's what Vector Prime discovered! The multiverse is shrinking because Grand King Ghidorah is altering reality and merging universes!"

Upon hearing Luna's deduction, Bumblebee was stupefied by the sheer strength of the opponent they would be facing!

"He's that powerful?! Even with Godzilla and Gamera, how could we possibly defeat him?!"

"We stick to the plan, Bumblebee."

"But Shinji and the others-"

"There's nothing more we can do."

Prime stated sadly.

However, Bumblebee was not going to give up so quickly!

"Soundwave, you said we were merging with another universe. Could it be our universe?"

Soundwave hesitated to respond to his longtime adversary.

"Answer him, Soundwave."

"Yes, Lord Megatron. Accessing satellite feeds."

A series of holographic images revealed the Earth's blood-red seas regaining their blue color and ice reforming from the void that was Antarctica!

But one landmass grabbed the group's attention!

"Equestria…" pointed Luna.

"And the colonies?"

Ratchet asked Soundwave.

"Accessing feed…"

The satellite data now showed mysterious metal structures in lunar orbit!

But the most definite evidence came in the form of a sudden distress call!

"_This is Major General Misato Katsuragi of the EDS Wunder! Is anyone there?!"_

The assembled group of former enemies rejoiced and cheered!

"General Katsuragi, this is Prime. It's been a while."

Luck had not abandoned them yet.

_**To be continued… **_


	36. We're All to Blame

**Sea of Tranquility: We're All To Blame**

_**Autobot Base, Aokigahara... **_

"_This is Major General Misato Katsuragi of the EDS Wunder! Is anyone there__?!" _

"General Katsuragi, this is Prime. It's been a while."

"_Prime? How did-" _

"Grand King Ghidorah screwed up the space-time continuum, and now we're stuck together."

Prime glared at Starscream, who rudely interrupted.

"What? I'm keeping it simple for the humans!"

"_Was that Starscream?! Are the Decepticons__-?!" _

"No need to panic, General. They're in custody and shall be dealt with when the time comes."

Megatron grimly chuckled.

"How are you going to do that, I wonder? Are you going to shoot me, Prime, as I asked? Or are you going to replace my hands with mining tools and send me back to the mines?"

"_Megatron's there, too?!" _

"I'll explain later. General, what's your current location?"

"Over the Kii Peninsula near Osaka. We just picked up Twilight, Spike, and Fairy Mothra. She had a fit, told us that everyone on the planet just turned into orange juice. I've never seen her this hysterical before."

"She's not exaggerating, General. I need you to fly to Hakone. We'll link up there."

"Understood."

Prime shut off his comms.

"You win."

Prime stared back at Megatron, now looking utterly dejected.

"What did you say?!"

"You win, Prime. All I've done, all I've fought for, a senseless waste! I sought to free the masses, make Cybertron a great and free society. Yet all I've done is drive the multiverse to near destruction. Now, I've finally got a second chance to make things right. I treated a human being, a child no less, as something other than a pawn or a pest to be stepped on! And the fruits of my labor? An even faster apocalypse! My one chance at redemption, sabotaged by the bot I thought most loyal!"

If it weren't for the rain and ash from Mount Asama, Optimus could've sworn he saw a tear escape Megatron's optic.

"Pathetic, isn't it, Optimus? Such bad comedy."

"There may be hope for you yet, Megatron."

Prime turned towards the assembled Decepticons.

"In the next few hours, both Ghidorah and Unicron will attack us. That's two omnicidal deities and their respective armies of followers. If you assist us in the upcoming battle, and we survive, it _might _absolve some of your crimes."

Starscream huffed.

"You want us to choose between certain death and execution, huh? And here I thought you Autobots presented yourselves as the heroes!"

The Decepticon Air Commander stood up nonetheless.

"Then again, I still have some unsettled business with Shockwave. If anyone's crushing Megatron's hopes and dreams, it'll be me!"

Skywarp stood up as well.

"I told myself repeatedly that the only reason I would ever help you Autobots is if it was the end of the world. Me and my big fat mouth."

Thundercracker was the last to stand up.

"We die either way, right? Might as well die a hero."

Prime turned towards his two strongest Autobots.

"Omega, Sky Lynx, how are you two holding?"

"Systems: Optimal."

"Ready for action, Prime!"

"Then, let's roll!"

_**Tokyo-3, several minutes later... **_

Above the skyline of the now-abandoned city, the enormous bird-like _Wunder _absolutely dwarfed the combined Autobot fleet of Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx!

After the ships linked up, Prime briefed Major General Misato Katsuragi on the unlikely events that had transpired in the last few months or so.

The parallels with the fictional show they frequently watched were uncanny.

"So it was like _Alcion_, but with us as the characters?"

"Yes, there are many parallels involving the pasts of the pilots, the organization in charge of the Evangelion units, and the cabal supporting them from the shadows."

"I figured that was the case once we got a good look at Unit-04. Your report and the information the other Kensuke gave us practically confirms it. Why didn't you guys realize this sooner?"

"In-between preparing for the Angel attacks, we also investigated Megatron's criminal activities. He seized control of an arms-smuggling gang and stole a bioweapon: a clone of this timeline's Godzilla."

"You're kidding?!"

Prime switched on a recording of Maki-Godzilla and his army during the battle of Tokyo-3.

"It started as a single G-cell, which slowly regenerated as it was exposed to nuclear radiation following this world's Third World War. The growth rate increased exponentially after it assimilated the head scientist, Dr. Goro Maki."

"Mari's uncle? The reporter?"

"Evidently, he chose the right career path in our timeline. As a consequence, this Godzilla appears to be even more intelligent than ours. It's exploited its healing factor to grow a clone army and employed military strategies to quickly overwhelm our defenses."

"Where is he right now?"

"Resting somewhere in the Pacific, growing his new army. We intend to employ them in the upcoming battle against Ghidorah, along with his genetic predecessor."

Prime switched the recording to that of an observation post near Mount Asama, showing Godzilla Earth erupting out the side of the volcano!

The assembled crew of the _Wunder _gawked in awe.

Prime paused, noticing that a particular person was absent.

"That reminds me, where is the other Kensuke?"

Misato grimaced.

"His Evangelion Unit disappeared in a flash of red light, along with our pilots. It happened like the event that brought him to our Earth in the first place!"

"A Dirac Sea."

Prime remembered.

"Moments later, we got reports from around the Earth Sphere of aurora-like lights spreading across the horizon. Which led us here."

Prime paused.

Then he remembered the decisive battle that never happened.

"General, I believe I know where our pilots have teleported."

_**Nerv Bethany Base, Alaska, an hour earlier... **_

"_Hostiles detected near Acheron__!" _

"_Another __Angel?!" _

"_No, Magi Analysis confirms Pattern Orange!" _

Mari Makinami sat inside Evangelion Unit-08, contemplating.

The last several months had not been kind to her.

Truthfully, the past decade or so wasn't much different.

"_Maria! Mari! Prepare to launch!" _

"_Roger! Eva-07, Maria Vincennes, Launching!" _

"Eva-08, Mari Makinami, Launching!"

"_Mari! Grab a sniper rifle and draw their attention! Maria! Grab a sword and prepare for _

_ambush!" _

Mari did as commanded and took aim at the direction of the hostiles!

She saw what appeared to a flock of giant vampire bats crawling on all fours at

frightening speed!

Mari opened fire!

The bats continued charging at her, crawling over their fallen numbers in a deranged frenzy!

Mari switched to a pistol and continued firing as she retreated back to the rendezvous point!

"Maria! Where the hell are you?!"

"_Is that a turt-AAAAAAAAAGH!" _

"Maria!"

Just as Mari was about to rush to Maria's aid, she noticed that the giant bats had suddenly paused!

"_They stopped? Why?_"

Mari thought as she cautiously raised her pistol at the snarling, yet stationary flock of bats.

"_Damn you! What have you done to Maria?!" _

In her rage, Mari opened fired on the bats, forcing them to retreat!

However, she only managed to fire off a few rounds before a sudden spasm of pain overtook her!

"**AAAAAAAAAGH!" **

Mari passed out from the pain.

When she reopened her eyes, she saw herself as a child!

"_Daddy? What's wrong?" _

"_I'm so sorry, Mari. There was an accident. Mommy's not coming home." _

"_M-Mommy?! Why?!" _

"_Mari, Mommy, and Daddy fell in with some bad people, I need you to stay with Aunt __Saeko and Uncle Goro for a while." _

"_No! Daddy, don't leave me!" _

"_I'll see you soon, sweetie. I promise." _

But Mr. Makinami never did.

Years later, she would find out that he was accosted by a mugger and shot shortly afterward.

At least, that was what the police report said.

For a while, her loving aunt and uncle kept her sadness at bay.

But then history repeated when Auntie Saeko came down with cancer and Uncle Goro dropped her off with the Vincennes family, before vanishing completely.

The next time she heard of him, he was kidnapped by an extremist group, the Red Bamboo, for his expertise on bioweapons.

Her initial reaction was one of indifference.

Why should she worry about the man who took her in, raised her, and then cast her aside as if nothing happened? Especially if he was working on weapons of mass destruction?

Mari threw herself into the Evangelion training program, indulging in vanquishing virtual Angels in increasingly bloodier ways.

Then came the real Angels, the visitors, and the startling revelation that somehow, her uncle became a creature worse than any of the so-called "Angels" they trained against.

"What is this?! Why are you showing me this?! I don't want to remember this!"

Mari screamed at the images of her past replaying before her eyes.

"But if _**you **_won't remember, then who will?"

A voice from behind her asked.

Mari turned around and saw herself as a young woman, nearly double her current age!

"_**Mommy?" **_

She tearfully asked.

"I wish, but not quite."

The other Mari said in a similarly disappointed tone.

"I'll explain. It's a long story..."

_**To be continued... **_


	37. The Planet Eaters

**Sea of Tranquility: The Planet Eaters**

_**On the fringes of the universe…**_

Grand King Ghidorah emerged unto the Red Earth's universe, his raw power causing reality to rewrite itself!

He had disappeared through a portal on the edge of the Blue Earth's universe, with the Garoga's flagship traveling close behind!

That pitiful excuse of a general, Baron Garoga, had failed yet again to destroy the annoying humans and their troublesome Equestrian and Cybertronian allies!

But the mortal had been useful to his plans so far, and Ghidorah knew he still had a final trick up his sleeve.

"_This is the place. This is where that Silver Guardian came from."_

"_This is where our kind was slaughtered!"_

"_Pretty colors…"_

Ghidorah's three heads thought to themselves.

The Golden Demise sped towards Earth!

As he did so, a wave of cosmic energy spread from his wings and extinguished countless stars, along with their solar systems!

_**On the newly-merged Earth…**_

Godzilla Earth gazed at the sky.

He was trouncing his opponents, the "Angels," when they suddenly collapsed, writhed in pain, and dissolved into what appeared to be some type of blood!

Had the entire human race not dissolved with them, such a comfortable victory would have only disappointed the King of Monsters!

But the Old King knew from experience that the strange events were a premonition of dangers to come!

When the sky was illuminated with strange colors, and the planet began repairing itself, his suspicions were quickly realized!

There was only one being powerful enough to cause this sequence of bizarre phenomena!

"_**GHIDORAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

The King bellowed to the heavens.

A voice responded telepathically.

"_Godzilla, my friend. If you expect me to be impressed with your newfound strength, you are sorely mistaken."_

"_You're one to talk, Ghidorah! You've merged the worlds together! My family and friends have also strengthened! We won't give up so easily!"_

"_Oh? You still seek a fight? I just obliterated trillions of civilizations with my mere presence! Your pathetic army won't last a microsecond."_

"_You saw the Silver Guardian from this world, didn't you? There are more like him. You aren't the only one who can bend reality to your will!"_

"_We know! That's why we brought an army, too!"_

Godzilla's mind suddenly filled with the sound of Ghidorah's giggling.

"_**Bidibidibidibidibidibidibidibidi!"**_

To his horror, it steadily multiplied into a cacophony of insane laughter!

"_**bidibidibidibidibidibidibidibidiBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDI!"**_

"_And we've even brought a friend over to play with your friends!"_

Ghidorah's disturbingly cheerful, almost childlike third voice chimed in.

Godzilla sensed a malevolent aura, one more insidious than Ghidorah himself!

"_You think I'm a planet eater? Wait till you see him!"_

_**Above Tokyo-3…**_

"General, I believe I know where our pilots have teleported. Before the temporal distortions occurred, the Evangelion units were deployed to intercept the Angels outside Tokyo-3. When Godzilla Earth broke out of Mount Asama, they were probably redeployed towards there."

"But we just passed Mount Asama. There's nothing there!"

Misato corrected Prime.

"Omega! Scan for any sign of the Evangelion Units!"

"Affirmative. Scan: Complete. Results: Negative."

"Maybe the Dirac Sea is elsewhere. Luna, have Discord and Eris recovered?"

"No, they're still knocked out. I'm bringing them and Twilight and Spike back to Equestria. I'll ask Dr. Hooves for his assistance."

"The Doctor? Oh, thank Primus, we're saved."

Bumblebee asked.

"He'll be glad to hear that, Bumblebee. That reminds me, last I checked, Vector Prime was still on Cybertron. He's trying to reactivate Primus with Ultra Magnus, Elita One, and their squads."

"We'd better contact them ASAP! If Unicron is still headed their way-"

"Calm down, Ironhide. Luna, I'll entrust the Doctor with rescuing the pilots. In the meantime, you should reconnect with your sister and try to rally all available Equestrian forces. General Katsuragi, I expect the same with NEST and the EDF."

"Understood!"

The princess and the major general left the teleconference.

"Omega, keep scanning for any distress signals. I'd expect many once these distortions settle down."

"Affirmative, Prime."

"Prime, if I may?"

"Yes, Sky Lynx?"

"Before Mount Asama was blown to bits by Megatron's railgun, I noticed some snow on the summit."

"Snow? Are you sure?"

Sky Lynx displayed an image from his databanks.

Mount Asama, _snowcapped_**, as if Second Impact had never happened.**

"That should be impossible! Japan's post-Second Impact climate has been consistently hot and humid!"

Ratchet exclaimed.

"An entire generation grew up without seeing snow. The press should have been all over this!"

Wheeljack reasoned.

"Could it be an early distortion?"

Cliffjumper asked Wheeljack.

"Can't be. Megatron didn't perform his hacking trick yet."

"Didn't Starscream possess an Angel?"

Ironhide huffed.

"Right. How did that happen? And why didn't humanity liquefy right then and there?"

Jazz questioned further.

"Discord brought Megatron materials from Axiom Nexus."

"The neutral port city? What's so special about that?"

Prime sighed at Jazz's question.

"Axiom Nexus is no mere port. It is also a trans-dimensional hub where visitors from other worlds, and even other universes, can ply their trade. It is the presence of such mysterious and powerful figures that neither Autobots nor Decepticons dare violate its neutrality. Instead, both sides saw Axiom Nexus as a black market for all their needs. Weapons, mercenaries, fuel…"

Prime switched on images of the _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ manga and DVDs Discord had amassed for Megatron's use.

"…and in Megatron's case, guides to alternate universes. Starscream never had access to such materials and 'possessed' a relatively weak Angel. Whatever hive consciousness controlled them didn't react strongly until Megatron directly attacked it with the Reverse Evolution Virus."

"Then how did that snow get there?"

Ironhide asked.

"Because these distortions may have started long before we arrived."

Prowl answered as he moved to the front of the assembled Autobots.

"Ghidorah can bend time and space just like Discord, can he not? Then what's stopping him from going back in time and making sure everything goes according to plan?"

Silence reigned as the realization of Prowl's question settled in.

"The Ghidorah we fought last week. The one we all thought was the real deal."

"Megatron said it was a hatchling."

Ratchet reasoned.

"Can we honestly trust Megatron? Is his remorse even sincere?!"

Prowl questioned the Autobots.

In his past life, he had seen how his Megatron could play innocent and manipulate others to accomplish his schemes.

"What if it wasn't a hatchling, but a weak clone like the ones in Maki's Zilla Army? He could've been gauging our abilities this whole time!"

Suddenly, an alert interrupted the discussion!

"**Pattern Orange detected near Old Tokyo Bay!" **

The creature that was once Professor Goro Maki burst through the waves and roared!

_**AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!**_

However, as soon as it appeared, the Autobots realized something off!

"Maki?!"

"Wasn't Maki part human? Shouldn't he have disappeared too?"

Bumblebee and Cliffjumper asked in confusion.

"Wait! Look at his arms, legs, and tail! Isn't that the form he took when showed up in Odawara?!"

As Wheeljack pointed out, Maki's arms were once again short and stubby.

His legs were thicker, and his tail was now longer than he was tall!

"He only devolved a little! But he shouldn't even exist anymore! What in the Pit happened?!"

Omega Supreme interrupted Wheeljack's panic with another alert!

"**Pattern Orange detected **_**all across the east coast!**_**"**

As the Autobots watched in awe, _an entire __**army **_of Shin-Godzillas emerged from the waves!

Prime tried to make sense of this new development and calm his troops.

"Autobots! Professor Goro Maki, along with the rest of humanity in this timeline, no longer exists! However, Godzilla still exists! What we see now is his deconstructed remnants, regenerated into a mindless horde!"

"I wouldn't say they were completely mindless, Prime."

Sky Lynx chimed in.

"While you were discussing Ghidorah's nature, I detected some neural activity from Godzilla Earth. It appears he's psychically controlling them, as we saw Maki do in Odawara."

"So Godzilla Earth is in charge. Our plan might still work."

Prime contemplated.

"Incoming transmissions detected!"

"_This is Delta Magnus from Autobot City, U.S.A! What was that light just now?!"_

"_This is Dai Atlas from Autobot City, Tokyo! We have an entire army of kaiju on our afterburners! Send backup now!"_

"_This is Fortress! We have several Autobot commanders in critical condition on Mars! Is anyone responding?!"_

"_This is Star Saber! Ghidorah is making his way towards us! He's- He's destroying the stars!"_

"This is it!"

Prime announced to his troops.

"The decisive battle that determines the fate of the multiverse!"

"Omega, begin transmission!"

_**To be continued…**_


	38. The Final Decision

**Sea of Tranquility: The Final Decision We All Must Take**

_**Tokyo-3, Hakone, Japan…**_

"To all listeners within range of this broadcast, I am Autobot Supreme Commander Optimus Prime. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am aware that many of you, friend and foe alike, have presumed me and my team dead. In truth, we were unexpectedly transported to an alternate dimension by a rift in space-time. It is now clear that the cause of this rift is none other than King Ghidorah, who has attained massive levels of power and is currently en route to Earth, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake! His power is such that Unicron, the Destroyer of Galaxies himself, has forged an alliance with him! In light of this existential threat, I implore all Autobots, Decepticons, and respective allied forces to cease hostilities and prepare yourselves! We must pull together and fight together! If we remain divided, we will surely fall!"

"That was an excellent speech, Prime. But for a ceasefire to work, you'll need a message from the other side as well!"

Megatron announced as he, Soundwave, and the Seekers arrived, escorted by Prowl and Ironhide.

"You're supposed to be 'in custody!'"

Ironhide snarled.

"It's fine, Ironhide. Let him speak."

Despite Prime's order, Ironhide still grumbled.

"Better not try any funny business…"

Megatron smirked and bellowed into Omega's comms.

"This is Lord Megatron, Emperor of Destruction! To all those who still cling to the title of Decepticon, I have some bad news. It appears that of all my followers, my esteemed scientist Shockwave has masterminded this insane plot to destabilize the multiverse with some input from our late Lord High Governor Straxus. To that end, he tried to have both myself and Air Commander Starscream assassinated! Thankfully, he failed, for once. Now that I have returned, I have a new objective for my remaining loyal troops! As much as it nauseates me to say, we must put aside our quarrels with the Autobots for the time being. Yes, I know. How could we, after millions of years of endless war? Very simple, really. If you wish, you can all go back to shooting Autobots tomorrow! Provided, of course, that _**there is a 'tomorrow' after**_ _**two Planet Eaters have gobbled up everything in sight!**_ Now play nice, or you will personally answer to _**me**_."

Megatron composed himself and was about to retreat back towards Soundwave.

"Wait."

Prime spoke in a calm yet angry tone.

"If you're offended by the 'shooting' remark, it was supposed to be hyperbolic."

"Not that. You forgot to tell us about Straxus."

Megatron sighed.

"I see. Do you remember Operation Battle Convoy?"

Prime's optics widened.

"Prime! What's he talking about?!"

Bumblebee asked, and Prime began to explain.

"When the war was at its greatest height, the Autobot army became increasingly harder to maintain. Every day, another front opened, and more Autobots died regardless of victory or defeat. As a result, I decided to use an omniglobe to organize every single battlefield so that those sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. But if I remained far from the front lines, morale would sink, and I would be no better than another callous armchair general."

Prime hung his head in shame.

"In my deepest moment of regret, I authorized the use of body doubles in my image."

The Autobots gasped.

"Prowl drew up a list of eager volunteers, all willing to lay down their lives for the Autobot cause. Their sparks were transplanted into Transtectors modified to my specifications, and their original bodies stored away for new protoforms. A convoy of Optimus Primes, hence the name."

"So, your greatest moments… were lies?"

Bumblebee asked, with a twinge of disappointment in his tone.

"Not entirely. The omniglobe allowed me to communicate with and coordinate the doubles with a single thought. They were my 'eyes and ears on the ground,' to borrow a human phrase. But even still, every death weighed on my conscience. Those stories of me returning from fatal injuries so often that I seemed to be immune to death was just that, an exaggeration. In the end, it didn't matter anyway. By the time of our great exodus, I found that I could only save one of the doubles. His name was Ginrai, or as he now calls himself, Victory Leo."

"So, that's why he doesn't like talking about his past."

Ironhide realized.

"The great Optimus Prime, a fraud! Ha!"

"Oh, shut it, Starscream. You'd do the same if anyone volunteered to take your place. 'If' being the key word, of course!"

After bickering with Starscream, Megatron returned to the main topic of his conversation.

"I, too, utilized an omniglobe. But unlike you, Prime, my desire for body doubles began back in the earliest days of the revolution. To ward off the possibilities of assassins and coups, I ordered Straxus and Shockwave to launch Operation Legion. Thanks to the DJD, there was no shortage of 'volunteers.'"

"You let Shockwave experiment on your own men?!"

Ratchet exclaimed in disgust.

"Appalling it may be, doctor, but you know as well as I that it is a more merciful fate than most of the DJD's victims. Besides, Straxus overstepped his boundaries. Do you recall Sixshot's assassination attempt on Ultra Magnus?"

"Yes, the one where his son Quickswitch defected to our side. Ginrai switched places with Magnus and sacrificed himself against Sixshot, knowing that he was under orders to salvage the Magnus Armor. We planted a tracking device and raided Shockwave's lab, where we also discovered the Delta Magnus armor lying in storage."

Prime paused as he realized what Megatron was trying to tell him.

"You mean to tell me that _Ginrai_ was the real target?!"

"Imagine the blow to morale if the great Optimus Prime were to suddenly turn traitor and join the Decepticons! But Shockwave turned out to be the better schemer. He contacted the Justice Division and informed them that Straxus was planning a coup using the doubles and pointed to his doppelgänger of you as evidence. The DJD did what they did best, and Straxus was reduced to wall decoration."

Megatron paused for dramatic effect.

"But after a while, I melted it down and reforged it into a backup chassis, which is how I'm standing in front of you right now."

"Wait! If both of you used body doubles, won't that mean neither side will believe those ceasefire messages?!"

Wheeljack warned.

"Don't worry. I've already considered that possibility."

Megatron smirked.

_**Megatron's former residence, Mount Hakone…**_

A Tokyo-3 police officer opened the door to the long-abandoned warehouse, ushering in two U.S. Marines and a pair of identical twin brothers in their teens.

"Search everything! Megatron's contact must be around here!"

"**There's nothing in here!"**

Grindor bellowed.

"The cops took everything here! We should go to the police station!"

Blackout reasoned.

"What if they come back?!"

"The human race just liquified, Frenzy! They ain't coming back!"

"I meant _**our**_ humans, Rumble!"

Barricade became exasperated with Rumble and Frenzy's bickering.

"Hurry up, you fools! We don't have much time!"

"Yelling at us isn't helping, Barricade! If you actually lend us a hand, we might-"

_**CLUNK!**_

Rumble had found a small remote hidden underneath the cushion-less couch!

When Barricade and Frenzy were yelling at each other, he fiddled with it and pressed a particular button!

To their amazement, a section of the floor retracted and revealed a staircase leading to an underground tunnel!

"I guess those superhero movies came in handy after all."

Rumble quipped.

"I'll keep an optic out for any humans. The rest of you explore that passage."

Barricade announced.

"Aren't you supposed to be a police officer? Shouldn't you investigate?"

Grindor grumbled.

"You're a Marine, Grindor. Shouldn't you perform reconnaissance?"

Barricade quipped back.

The four Decepticons descended the staircase and walked along the tunnel.

"That Takahashi guy Megatron whacked was a smuggler, wasn't he?"

Rumble asked.

"The best. Lord Megatron would settle for nothing less."

Blackout answered, then asked,

"Didn't you and Frenzy clear out one of his offices?"

"Nah, I think that was his rivals. Pretty convenient of them to meet in one place with only one armed checkpoint."

"Pretty sure Megatron pulled some strings. Wait a minute…"

Blackout paused as the group stumbled upon a vast underground garage with only one vehicle in sight!

A silver Nissan 370Z!

"Bingo."

As Grindor moved in, he instinctively dodged a shuriken and drew a pistol!

"Stop!"

A female holomatter avatar de-cloaked behind Grindor with a sword at his neck and aimed a pistol at the group!

The other Decepticons raised their weapons!

"Nightbird! Don't you recognize us?!"

"How do I know Shockwave hasn't brainwashed you over to his side?!"

"We would never betray Lord Megatron! If he says 'Make peace with the Autobots!' I would gladly-"

"So you're with Prime, then?!"

Grindor spoke up, interrupting Blackout and Nightbird's standoff.

"You know me, Nightbird. I enjoy crushing every Autobot in sight! But destroying the entire multiverse? I'd like to keep existing, thank you very much! If we have to work with Prime, so be it!"

Nightbird relented and lowered her sword and pistol.

"Why have you come here?"

"Unicron's on his way here, Nightbird. Prime's already rallied his forces. We need to communicate with whoever's still loyal to us."

"Hmph. Shouldn't you ask Soundwave for that?"

"Soundwave's in Autobot custody. Same with Megatron, Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker. That's why we had to find you."

Nightbird paused.

"We'll contact Deathsaurus."

"Deathsaurus?! That pirate?! He only cares for himself! That's why Megatron exiled him!"

Frenzy exclaimed.

"True, but I doubt even he can stand Shockwave and Unicron. Thieves have their own sense of honor, after all."

Blackout reasoned.

Nightbird paused.

"Where are your main bodies?"

"Still circling around the city."

"Are you insane?! The Autobots will find you! And you'd better hope Shockwave doesn't get you first!"

Blackout huffed.

"This place got an escape route?"

"One."

Nightbird's vehicle mode activated its blasters and shot through a wall, revealing a small launch bay for NERV vehicles!

Nightbird gunned her engines and blasted onto the upper city before a temporal distortion erased the launch bay!

"I can see why Lord Megatron fancies her."

Frenzy muttered as the Decepticons deactivated their avatars.

_**The tale of Red Earth ends here!**_

_**But the battle against Unicron and Ghidorah is just beginning!**_

_**Will our heroes finally make peace with their oldest enemies?**_

_**Can they unite and light this darkest hour?**_

_**Or will reality itself fall to these eldritch abominations?!**_

_**Stay tuned for the epic conclusion event!**_

_**Sea of Tranquility: Super Robot Wars!**_


End file.
